Polling stations in Colombia closed at 4PM local time. Sunday’s election round was the most peaceful in decades in spite of extreme polarization during the race.
The two remaining candidates in the second round, the conservative Ivan Duque and the social democrat Gustavo Petro, voted early in the day, both in the capital Bogota.
According to registrar Juan Carlos Galindo, the results of the elections should be known around 5:30PM local time.
The election happened in almost absolute peace, unlike in previous decades when guerrilla groups and paramilitary forces violently intervened and impeded voting in much of the countryside.
Vote-buying most reported crime on election day in Colombia
The presidential vote was the first after a peace deal with the now-demobilized FARC guerrilla group. Other illegal armed groups like the AGC and ELN had vowed not to interfere in the elections.
According to the Defense Ministry, not one violent incident occurred.
The relative peace on election day was in stark contrast with the election race, which was dominated by polarization and occasional acts of aggression.
Petro was attacked after police escorted him into a hostile mob in March. One campaign worker of the leftist candidate was murdered on the day of the first round.
Police clashed with protesters who were trying to disrupt a campaign rally of former President Alvaro Uribe, the political patron of Duque.
To prevent violence on election day, national authorities banned the sale of alcohol. Some municipalities issued decrees banning the carrying of firearms.
