Johnny Araya

Costa Rica's Supreme Elections Tribunal began releasing preliminary results in the country's presidential and legislative elections soon after 8 p.m. By 9 p.m. supporters of Citizen Action Party (PAC) candidate Luis Guillermo Solís had reason to celebrate, as the candidate who placed third or fourth in most of the country's polls showed a strong showing in the actual vote, moving into first place.

The Tico Times will update results as Costa Rica's election authority reports them.

Check out these photos from Sunday's vote.

We will provide graphical election results by province and municipality, as the first results come in at 8 p.m.

"Faced with (those who want) communist experiments, we represent the safest path for this democracy," said Costa Rican presidential candidate Johnny Araya, of the ruling National Liberation Party, after casting his vote at a San José school Sunday morning.

While a few political flags waved in the streets Saturday night, Costa Ricans quietly readied themselves for the end of a hard-fought electoral campaign and a Sunday vote to decide the country’s next president and Legislative Assembly.

Can Peyton Manning dominate the Seahawks' vaunted defense to win his second Super Bowl? Will ex-San José Mayor Johnny Araya hold off challengers in the presidential election? There's a couple of major clashes going on this Sunday.

Ruling party candidate Johnny Araya clings to a small lead, according to a poll released Tuesday night. Costa Ricans will vote on the country's next president Sunday.

Costa Rica now faces what would have been an unthinkable proposition a year ago – a new political party taking over the government.

The rise of the left in Latin America could see reinforcement with a triumph by the Broad Front Party (FA) that would be historic in Costa Rica, and the re-election of the ex-guerrilla Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front in El Salvador in simultaneous elections on Sunday.