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Ecuadorians cast their ballots on Sunday in a presidential election overshadowed by violence.
The South American country’s 13 million eligible voters will also elect 137 members of the National Assembly and have their say in two environmental referendums.
The campaign was dominated by pledges to tackle a spike in crime and boost the struggling economy.
Security has been a major concern during the contest, particularly following the murder of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio outside a campaign rally on August 9.
Authorities have deployed more than 100,000 police and soldiers to protect the vote from more violence.
The election was called after conservative President Guillermo Lasso dissolved the National Assembly in May to escape an impeachment trial just two years after being elected.
Voting in Ecuador is mandatory for citizens between the ages of 18 and 64.
Who are the candidates running for president?
Eight candidates are in the race to become the next president.
Luisa Gonzalez, an ally of exiled leftist former President Rafael Correa, is considered the favorite to win. She has promised to bolster the economy and expand social programs.
Law and order candidate and millionaire Jan Topic has pledged to wipe out criminal gangs and build more prisons, earning him the nickname “Ecuadorian Rambo.”
Other prominent candidates include German-born Otto Sonnenholzner, a right-wing former vice president, and Yaku Perez, an Indigenous man promising to defend the environment and water from mining and oil extraction.
The party of slain candidate Villavicencio is fielding investigative journalist Christian Zurita as his replacement in the race.
Two environmental referendums
Ecuadorians are also voting in two key referendums alongside Sunday’s election.
One vote addresses whether to stop oil extraction in the Amazon jungle.
The other asks whether the exploitation of minerals such as gold, silver and copper in forests of the Andean Choco should be banned.
What happens next?
The winning presidential candidate will govern for the remainder of Lasso’s unfinished term, a period of less than two years.
To win outright, a candidate needs 50% of the votes, or at least 40% with a 10-point lead over the closest opponent.
If no one wins outright, a runoff vote will take place on October 15.
Polls opened at 7 a.m. local time (1200 GMT) and are scheduled to close at 5 p.m.
Initial results are expected later on Sunday, but a final tally could take up to 10 days.
nm/jcg (AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa)
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