Colombia’s abstention rate has skyrocketed during the 2014 presidential elections with 60% of the voting age population not casting their vote compared to 51% in 2010, according to electoral authorities.
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Colombia’s Registry Office reported that with over 99% of the vote counted, only 13.19 million of Colombia’s 32.97 million potential voters actually voted in the 2014 election.
The 2014 presidential elections had the lowest voter turnout in a first-round presidential race since 2002.
Colombia’s first presidential round has ended with Oscar Ivan Zuluaga and incumbent candidate Juan Manuel Santos facing off in a second round. Many analysts had told national media that Colombia’s democracy has taken a huge step backward due to the nature of the candidate’s dirty presidential campaign.
MORE: Zuluaga and Santos to vie for Colombia’s presidency in 2nd round of voting
The 2010 elections saw a 5% increase in voter turnout from 2006. Voter participation has lost the progress made in the 2010 elections and dropped a further 5% during the 2014 elections.
MORE: Colombia holds presidential election ‘in peace’ after ‘dirtiest’ campaign in recent history
In the 2010 presidential elections, the voter turn-out was 49.29% according to the National Registry. The voter turnout in 2006 was 45% when former President Alvaro Uribe won reelection in a landslide in the first round with 62% of the vote.
The voter turnout at Colombia’s congressional elections have not performed any better, with a voter abstention of 58.11%.
MORE: Abstention wins Colombia’s 2014 congressional elections
Sources
- Elección de Presidente y Vicepresidente 25 de Mayo 2014 (Registraduría)
- Elección de Presidente y Vicepresidente 30 de Mayo 2010 (Registraduría)
- Elección de Presidente y Vicepresidente 21 de Junio 2006 (Registraduría)