A vote for continuity? What to know for Costa Rica’s presidential election

Al JazeeraCenterEN 6 min read 100% complete by Al Jazeera StaffFebruary 1, 2026 at 07:30 AM

AI Summary

long article 6 min

Costa Rica is holding presidential and legislative elections on February 1, 2026, where voters will elect a president, two vice presidents, and all 57 members of the legislature. The ruling party, aligned with outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves, hopes to maintain control, with polls suggesting their candidate is likely to win. However, a significant portion of voters remain undecided. The opposition is fragmented, and traditional center-left parties have seen declining support. Voters are increasingly concerned with security issues. If no candidate receives at least 40% of the vote, a run-off election will be held on April 5 between the top two contenders.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Nicaragua 30% University of Costa Rica 40% San Jose 40% Ronald Alfaro 40% Supreme Electoral Tribunal 50% Citizens’ Action 50% National Liberation Party 60% Costa Rican presidential election 70% Rodrigo Chaves ×390% Costa Rica ×9100%

Keywords

costa rica 100% presidential election 90% rodrigo chaves 80% voter apathy 70% undecided voters 70% ruling party 60% run-off election 50% political realignment 50% security concerns 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Neutral

Score: -0.10

Source Transparency

Source

Al Jazeera

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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costa rica presidential election rodrigo chaves voter apathy undecided voters ruling party run-off election political realignment security concerns

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