When is the second round of the general elections in Guatemala 2023 held?

( Spanish) — After the general elections this Sunday in which more than 9 million people were eligible to vote, Guatemala will have a second round to elect its new president.

The results of the first round show that Sandra Torres, presidential candidate for the National Unity of Hope (UNE) party, led the elections with more than 15% of the votes. Meanwhile, the second place was obtained by Bernardo Arévalo, candidate of the Semilla party, who obtained almost 12% of the votes.

Torres served as Guatemala’s First Lady from 2008 to 2011, and had already been a Guatemalan presidential candidate in 2015 and 2019. Arévalo is a career diplomat and the son of former President Juan José Arévalo.

Both candidates will be the ones to dispute the presidency of Guatemala in the second round of the elections.

When is the second round of the presidential elections in Guatemala?

The Electoral Law and Political Parties of the country points out that Guatemala will have a second round in its elections for president and vice president when no list reaches “half plus one of the valid votes cast.”

This second round will have to be done between 45 and 60 days after the day of the first round.

In this case, the second round will be held on Sunday, August 20, which is within the period established by law.