Guide: 2014 Elections in the Americas

Colombia's May 25 presidential vote saw low turnout and a divided electorate, as candidate Óscar Iván Zuluaga edged out President Juan Manuel Santos in a first round. With over 99 percent of the votes counted, Zuluaga garnered about 29.3 percent of the vote; Santos came in second with roughly 25.7 percent. As no candidate earned the necessary 50 percent to avoid a runoff, Santos and Zuluaga will face off in a second-round vote on June 15.

In total, five candidates appeared on the ballot. The Conservative Party's Marta Lucía Ramírez took the third spot with 15.5 percent, and the Democratic Pole/Patriotic Union Alliance's Clara López won just over 15.2 percent. The Green Alliance's Enrique Peñalosa came in last with about 8 percent.

Aside from the split results, voter apathy ran high. Only 40 percent of eligible voters turned up to cast a vote, and 6 percent of those who did cast a "blank vote," preferring not to pick any candidate. And though over half a million Colombian expats are eligible to vote abroad, overseas absention ran even higher at around 80 percent.

• Writing for U.S. News & World Report, AS/COA's Adriana La Rotta shares election insights, such as how the country's peace talks factor into the race.
• Find out more about the candidates in a post for AS/COA's 2014 election blog. 

Check out quotes, videos, and more about today's presidential vote:

On May 25, Colombia holds elections as the country’s president, Juan Manuel Santos, seeks another four-year term. A candidate must receive more than 50 percent of votes to avoid a runoff. Otherwise, a second-round vote will be held on June 15.

Who Are the Candidates?

President Juan Manuel Santos: Representing the governing, centrist Social Party of National Unity, the current head of state hopes to remain in office and maintain programs in areas such as education, housing, and poverty reduction. The president, whose government launched the peace talks in August 2012, aims to complete an agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Santos served as minister of trade, finance, and defense during previous administrations.

Óscar Iván Zuluaga: This candidate represents the right-leaning Democratic Center, a party created by former President Álvaro Uribe. In contrast to Santos, he opposes the peace talks and vows to suspend them. A former senator and finance minister, Zuluaga wants to cut government spending and reduce the number of congressional seats by 20 percent to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Still, his platform includes social inclusion measures similar to those Santos implemented.

Enrique Peñalosa: Running on the left-leaning Green Alliance ticket, this candidate previously served as mayor of Bogota and a federal congressman. Along with proposals for health, education, and security, Peñalosa promises to work on rural development and environmental issues. He says he would continue the talks with the FARC.

Clara López: On the left-leaning Democratic Pole/Patriotic Union alliance ticket, López was previously mayor of Bogota and auditor-general of Colombia.She supports the peace process and social inclusion measures, and advocates for improving infrastructure and renegotiating free-trade deals.

Marta Lucía Ramírez: Running for the Conservative Party, this candidate previously served as minister of trade and defense, as well as a senator. She’s running on an anti-corruption platform and supports the peace talks, though she would set stricter deadlines and impose conditions, such as only maintaining the dialogue if the FARC ceases attacks.

Explore Colombia's election by the numbers in our infographic.

What Do the Polls Say?

The last polls before the election show Santos and Zuluaga neck-and-neck. A May 17 Ipsos survey puts them in a statistical tie, with 28.5 percent for the president and 29.5 percent for Zuluaga. López is in third with 10 percent. The poll indicates that Santos would win a runoff with every candidate except Zuluaga; in a second round, they are tied with 32 percent. A May 15 Gallup poll also shows the two candidates in a close race; it puts Zuluaga at 29.3 percent and Santos at 29 percent. This survey places Ramírez in third place with 14.4 percent. A Cifras y Conceptos poll gives Santos a larger advantage: 27.7 percent to Zuluaga’s 23.9 percent. Margin of error for these surveys averages around 2 to 3 percent.

What Are Some of the Campaign Challenges?

Corruption allegations and mud-slinging marked the last few weeks of campaigning, as accusations arose in both the Santos and Zuluaga camps. The latest development involves a video released by Semana showing Zuluaga meeting with a supposed hacker to get classified information on the peace talks. The Cifras y Conceptos survey found that around 27 percent of voters said they’d changed their vote because of corruption allegations on both sides.

Plus, polls indicate voter disinterest. A May Datexco poll indicated the number of people planning to cast blank votes stands at 15 percent. Also, turnout may not be high: An April 30 Gallup poll found that only 54 percent of voters plan to show up on election day. Meanwhile, the latest Cifras y Conceptos poll found that not a single presidential candidate has an approval rating above 40 percent.

Colombia’s presidential race grew tense in recent days as corruption allegations arose among the ranks of two of the top contenders. President Juan Manuel Santos remains the frontrunner, though his rival—the Democratic Center’s Oscar Iván Zuluaga, supported by former President Álvaro Uribe—is gaining ground. The vote takes place May 25.

On May 6, Santos’ campaign strategist Juan José Rendón resigned after Semana published a story alleging he received $12 million from a drug trafficker to help negotiate his surrender. Rendón said he had been approached by traffickers but denied taking money. On May 8, Zuluaga's campaign chief Luis Alfonso Hoyos also quit his post. He was connected to a hacking scandal intended to disrupt peace talks with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The same day, former President Álvaro Uribe accused Santos of using $2 million in funds received by Rendón for his 2010 election campaign. But on May 13, Uribe refused to testify or provide evidence to the attorney general, who requested the former president return on May 14 to testify.

These revelations had an impact on the polls. For the first time, one survey found Zuluaga pulling ahead. A May 12 National Consulting Center poll for CM& News found that in the first round, Zuluaga would come in first with 24 percent of the vote, followed by Santos with 22 percent. In a runoff, Zuluaga would win with 42 percent with Santos at 34 percent. Other polls put Santos in first place, but show the Democratic Center candidate gaining momentum. A May 6 Cifras y Conceptos poll places Zuluaga in second after rising 8 points since March. An April 30 Gallup poll showed him up about 5 points over the previous month.

The tumultuous last weeks of the campaigns could have an impact on voter turnout and blank votes. The April 30 poll found that only 54 percent intend to vote, while nearly 16 percent plan to cast a blank vote. The May 12 poll showed 14 percent of voters wouldn’t choose any of the candidates on the ballot, while 9 percent say they will cast a blank vote. Margin of error on these surveys falls between 2 and 3 percent; in the 2010 election, Santos defied polls by winning the most votes in the first round.  

Peace talks with the country’s guerilla groups also represent a division between the two candidates and their supporters. Around 64 percent of Colombians support the peace process, a May Gallup survey indicates. Santos launched the talks in August 2012, and said this month that he believes a peace accord will be signed by the end of year. But Zuluaga opposes the dialogue. Earlier this month, Zuluaga said the talks were “the surrender of democracy” and said he would suspend the peace process if elected.