Election officials in Ecuador will be reviewing thousands of primary ballots over concerns of irregularities before determining which candidate will face top vote getter Andrés Arauz in an upcoming runoff election.
Arauz, an ally of former President Rafael Correa, secured a spot in the April 11 run off after receiving just over 32 percent of the vote in Sunday’s primary election.
Ecuador’s National Election Council said 3,770 ballots have to be reexamined before it determines if Indigenous environmental activist Yaku Pérez’ less than one percent lead over banker Guillermo Lasso holds up.
All three candidates expressed confidence in the review process following a meeting Tuesday with electoral observers from the Organization of American States (OAS) and Ecuador National Electoral Council (CNE) authorities.
It is unclear how long it will take before the CNE validates the returns.
