Costa Rica goes to the polls to choose municipal leaders

Costa Ricans began voting Sunday to elect the authorities that will govern their 82 municipalities over the next four years.

More than 3.3 million people are called to participate in the vote that will define 6,138 positions of mayors, vice mayors, councilors, trustees and councilors, according to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE).

But television images early Sunday showed relatively empty voting centers, a reflection of the traditional abstentionism in the municipal elections.

“I invite Costa Ricans again to live this process closely, to participate with their community to choose the best men and women,” said TSE President Luis Antonio Sobrado.

A man who identified himself as Luis Claudio said he was participating in the elections because the municipality of San José, where he lives, requires changes.

“He who is not happy with things in the municipality, this is the time to make them change,” he said shortly before voting in the district of Pavas, west of the capital San José, the same place where President Carlos Alvarado came to vote.

San José, the most populous municipality in the country, has been ruled since 1991 by Johnny Araya, of the opposition National Liberation Party, who aspires to re-election.

The 5,755 vote-receiving centers will close at 6:00 p.m. CST and the results will be announced early Monday.

Find your voting place here.