Uruguay is set for a tight presidential election runoff on November 24 after center-left candidate Yamandú Orsi led the first round of voting, garnering over 1 million votes.

He outpaced the ruling conservative coalition’s candidate, Álvaro Delgado, who received 644,147 votes, while third-place candidate Andrés Ojeda, with 385,685 votes, pledged to support Delgado.

Voters also rejected a controversial pension reform plan aimed at lowering the retirement age and increasing payouts, The Guardian has reported.

The outcome reflects Uruguay’s generally moderate political landscape, with Orsi’s supporters optimistic despite the challenge posed by the combined conservative vote in the runoff.

Written by B.C. Begley