Uruguay runoff election: Voters choosing between leftist, rightwing bloc | Elections News [Video]

Voting is under way in Uruguay’s presidential run-off election with the leftist alliance of celebrated former President Jose “Pepe” Mujica hoping to come back to power after five years of right-wing government at the helm of the Latin American nation.

Ballot stations opened at 8am (11:00 GMT) and close at 7:30pm (22:30 GMT), with first results expected two hours later.

People in the small nation of 3.4 million have to choose between the leftist Frente Amplio (Broad Front) candidate Yamandu Orsi and Alvaro Delgado of the National Party, a member of outgoing President Luis Lacalle Pou’s centre-right Republican Coalition.

Final opinion polls suggested the run-off to be razor-tight, with less than 25,000 votes potentially separating the frontrunners.

Unlike sharp right-left divides in recent elections in Argentina, Brazil or Mexico, Uruguay’s political arena is relatively tension-free, with significant overlap between the conservative and liberal coalitions vying for office, taking some of …