Colombia’s presidential election is moving to a runoff after initial voting results showed no candidate achieved the necessary majority to win outright, according to data released Sunday by the nation’s electoral registry.
Conservative outsider Abelardo de la Espreilla and leftist senator Ivan Cepeda are set to face each other in the second round, with vote tallies showing a tight race between the two candidates.
The right wing lawyer secured 44.2% of voter support, while the veteran senator and activist garnered 41% of the vote. Since neither candidate crossed the 50% threshold required to avoid a runoff, Colombian voters will return to the polls for a decisive second round.
The results were announced with the majority of ballots counted across the South American nation.
