On sunny Election Day, Costa Rican voting heats up

While our Election Day reporters around the country reported a sluggish start during the morning hours of this presidential and legislative contest, some reported bigger crowds, more colorful partisan cheerleading and even some dancing as the day continued.

In various locations around the country, including Tres Ríos and Curridabat, east of San José; Desamparados, to the south, and Heredia, to the north of the capital; and Bijagua, Guanacaste, near the northern border with Nicaragua; and other locations around the country, our correspondents reported significant turnout.

Will voter participation truly surpass forecasts, or is it an optical illusion caused by our low expectations? How will the night ahead unfold? Stay tuned to our live blog, beginning at 6 p.m., for continuing coverage, and follow us on Instagram at @TheTicoTimes for more pics and videos.

A young campaign volunteer for Rodolfo Piza of the Social Christian Unity Party in Puriscal, southeast of San José. Francisco Cubillo / Tico Times

The voting station in Cipreses de Curridabat, an eastern San José suburb, was packed at approximately 1 pm. Katherine Stanley / The Tico Times

Francisco Cubillo / The Tico Times

National Liberation Party (PLN) candidate Antonio Alvarez Desanti voted at the Escuela Central de Tres Ríos. Gregory Calvo / @greg_calvo / The Tico Times

A man scans the voting lists to find his name in Coronado. Iva Alvarado / @ivacaminando / The Tico Times

Thousands of people headed to the Supreme Elections Tribunal to obtain ID cards, or cédulas, so they could vote. Paula Alvarez / The Tico Times

José María Villalta (right), a 2018 legislative candidate and 2014 presidential contender, both times for the leftist Broad Front, smiles with a poll-goer in Coronado, San José. Iva Coronado / @ivacaminando / The Tico Times