Polls open in Costa Rica as centre-right populists aim to extend mandate

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Briefing Summary

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NEWSAR · AI

Costa Rica held general elections on February 1, 2026, as the center-right populist government sought to extend its mandate amid rising drug-fueled violence. Voters cast ballots for president and members of the Legislative Assembly. Laura Fernandez, President Rodrigo Chaves’s protege, is the frontrunner, hoping to win outright and avoid a runoff election on April 5. Her main rivals are centrist Alvaro Ramos and progressive Claudia Dobles. Fernandez has campaigned on continuing Chaves' security policies and seeks a supermajority in the Assembly to enact constitutional reforms, blaming congressional gridlock for hindering the current government's agenda. A significant portion of voters, particularly young adults in coastal provinces, remained undecided leading up to the election.

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Article analysis

Model · rule-based

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National Security

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Key claims

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About a quarter of the 3.7 million voters remain undecided.

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Fernandez has urged voters to hand her 40 seats in the country’s 57-seat Legislative Assembly.

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Alvaro Ramos and Claudia Dobles are polling in the single digits.

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Laura Fernandez is leading in the polls with more than 40 percent.

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Laura Fernandez is President Rodrigo Chaves’s protege and former chief of staff.

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Full report

2 min read · 332 words

Laura Fernandez, President Rodrigo Chaves’s protege and former chief of staff, is a frontrunner and could avoid an April 5 run-off.Published On 1 Feb 2026Polls have opened in the Costa Rica general election as the ‍centre-right populist government seeks to extend its mandate and secure control of the Legislative Assembly at a time when drug-fuelled violence has gripped the country.Voting stations opened at 6am local time (12:00 GMT) on Sunday and will remain open until 6pm (24:00 GMT), with early trends likely within hours.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4A vote for continuity? What to know for Costa Rica’s presidential electionlist 2 of 4Chaves Robles becomes first Costa Rican president to face loss of immunitylist 3 of 4All the big elections to look out for in 2026list 4 of 4Who’s in, who’s out: Which teams have qualified for the FIFA World Cup?end of listLaura Fernandez, President Rodrigo Chaves’s protege and former chief of staff, is leading in the polls ⁠with more than 40 percent, enough to win outright and avoid an April 5 run-off. She has pledged to continue Chaves’s tough security policies and anti-establishment message.Her closest ‍rivals in the 20-candidate field are Alvaro Ramos, a centrist economist representing Costa Rica’s oldest political party, and Claudia Dobles, an architect representing a progressive coalition and a former first lady whose husband, Carlos Alvarado, ‍served as president ⁠from 2018 to 2022.Both are polling in the single digits but are seen as the two most likely to compete in a possible run-off if Fernandez falls short of 40 percent.Fernandez has also urged voters to hand her 40 seats in the country’s 57-seat Legislative Assembly, a supermajority that would allow her to pursue constitutional reforms. The current government holds just eight seats and has blamed congressional gridlock for blocking its agenda.Polls show about a ‌quarter of the 3.7 million voters remain undecided, with the largest group being between the ages of 18 and 34 and from the coastal provinces of Guanacaste, Puntarenas and Limon.

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