2026 Costa Rican general election

The victory of businessman Rodrigo Chaves in the 2022 general election caused a major political shift, as he was a candidate outside the traditional parties and opposed to the classic institutional system. Despite good macroeconomic indicators during his administration, especially due to economic growth and record exports, the reduction in unemployment and poverty, and the fall in inflation, Chaves maintained tensions with the other branches of the state, especially the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE). On 7 September 2025, the TSE asked the Legislative Assembly to lift Chaves' immunity so that he could be prosecuted for fifteen complaints received for political belligerence, that is, for using his position to favour a party in the elections. In December 2025 the Legislative Assembly rejected removing Chaves' immunity. He also faced corruption accusations by the Supreme Court. At the same time, Costa Rica experienced an unprecedented increase in violence associated with drug trafficking and organised crime, which damaged the country's historical image as a peaceful democracy. This deterioration in security became the main concern for citizens and dominated public debate. In 2024, the Costa Rican Constitution was amended to allow for the extradition of drug traffickers and domestic terrorists wanted by foreign authorities. Chaves maintained a historic approval rating, although between October 2025 and January 2026 it fell from 63% to 58% and obtained a 28% disapproval rating, 8 points higher, according to the Centre for Political Research and Studies (CIEP) at the University of Costa Rica. He was ineligible to run in 2026, as the constitution limits the consecutive re-election of presidents, who are eligible to run for office eight years after the end of their term. ==Electoral system==

The president of Costa Rica is elected using a modified two-round system in which a candidate must receive at least 40% of the vote to win in the first round; if no candidate wins in the first round, a runoff is held between the two candidates with most votes. Each presidential candidate shares the ballot with two vice-presidential candidates. The 57 members of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica are elected using a closed list voting system with proportional representation through the largest remainder method from seven multi-member constituencies which are based on the seven provinces, allocated seats based on population (in this election the constituencies varied between five and 18 seats). Overseas voters may cast ballots in the presidential election, but not for members of the Legislative Assembly. == Presidential candidates ==

The following table shows the candidates nominated by the eligible parties: ==Campaign==

The Supreme Electoral Court officially launched the election campaign on 1 October 2025. Fernández's campaign was centered on crime, amid voters' concerns about a rise in drug violence. Since 2023, Costa Rica's murder rate has climbed by over 50% compared to before Chaves took office in 2022. Fernández said she planned to declare a state of emergency in gang-controlled areas. Fernández is opposed to abortion; she has promised to double the maximum prison sentence for women who have abortions to six years. Voters also expressed concern at the degradation of Costa Rica's public services, such as education, healthcare, and transportation. Costa Rica is also in a dire situation demographically: a rapid increase in the average age in the country is expected in the coming decades, putting strain on the Costa Rican pension system. The environment is also a factor in the public's perception of the government, with lofty sustainability goals often left far from being met. Despite promises for a "green Costa Rica", the government plans to scale back a ban on fossil fuel exploration and to accelerate the exploitation of the country's natural resources. Ramos opposes the opening of Chaves's mega-prison, saying "you don't have to lock people up for being tattooed". He does still support taking a firm stance against crime, calling during the final debate for a larger police force and improved intelligence sharing with international partners. Ramos promised tax incentives for small businesses as well as infrastructure projects to reduce unemployment and create jobs. The former first lady Claudia Dobles of the Citizen Agenda Coalition ran on a progressive platform. Dobles supported social reform and environmental protections. Regarding crime, Dobles said during the final debate before the election that she supported community-based enforcement and pushed for larger reforms in the judiciary. She said that she planned to modernize hospitals and provide free higher education. == Opinion polls ==

According to the Public Opinion Studies Report from the Center for Political Research and Studies (CIEP) at the University of Costa Rica, 55% of voters were still undecided in December 2025, and 75% said they did not sympathize with any political party. Presidential Campaign period Pre-campaign period Legislative == Conduct ==

The election took place at 7,000 voting centers across Costa Rica. == Results ==

President With 85% of the polling stations reporting, Laura Fernández Delgado of the Sovereign People's Party (PPSO) held an unassailable lead of 48.7% of the votes cast, ahead of her closest rival, Álvaro Ramos Chaves of the National Liberation Party (PLN), with 33.2%. Ramos conceded around five hours into the count. Had no candidate received a 40% plurality of the valid votes in the first round, a runoff election would have been held on 5 April. There were 20 candidates for president; other than Fernández and Ramos, none managed to break 5% of the presidential vote. Turnout was 69.22%, up 9.25 percentage points from the 2022 first round. Legislative Assembly By constituency In the Legislative Assembly election, the PPSO led in all seven of the country's provinces. The PLN placed second across the board, posting its best results in Cartago (28%), Heredia (26%) and San José (25%). The PPSO won 31 seats, surpassing the absolute majority of 29. Of the remaining 26 seats, the PLN won 17 and the FA won 7. The CAC and the PUSC won one each, both in San José. == Aftermath ==

After the polls closed and before the results were announced, the Supreme Electoral Court president Eugenia Zamora highlighted citizen participation in a civic day and said that "those who tried to discredit this Court and damage the trust that our people have always had in its electoral processes" had failed. She called for reconciliation, responsibility and an end to violent, and stigmatising rhetoric. In her first statements as the winner, Fernández stated that "democracy has spoken and voted for continuity of change", and that she will continue her predecessor's policies. Meanwhile, opposition groups warned of the possibility of an authoritarian figure coming to power following the victory of the ruling party. Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sánchez also congratuled her. The European Union issued a statement congratulating Fernández and calling for continued collaboration. Chinese President Xi Jinping also congratuled Fernández, Marco Rubio, the United States secretary of state, congratulated Fernández and praised her tough stance on drug trafficking. Fernández will be sworn in on 8 May 2026 as the second female president of Costa Rica after Laura Chinchilla. ==References==