1962 Costa Rican general election

1962 Costa Rican general election

←  1958 4 February 1962 1966  →
Presidential election
Turnout	80.87% ( 16.87pp)
Nominee Francisco Orlich Rafael Calderón Otilio Ulate Party PLN PRN PUN Popular vote 192,850 135,533 51,740 Percentage 50.29% 35.34% 13.49%
Results by district. Orlich   30–40%   40–50%   50–60%   60–70%   70-80%   80-90%   90-100% Calderón   50-60%   60-70%   70-80% Ulate   40–50%   50–60% Tie   30-40%
President before election Mario Echandi PUN Elected President Francisco Orlich PLN
Legislative election
All 57 seats in the Legislative Assembly 29 seats needed for a majority
Party Leader Vote % Seats +/– PLN Francisco Orlich Bolmarcich 48.85 29 +9 PRN Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia 33.49 18 +7 PUN Otilio Ulate Blanco 13.27 8 −2 PADP Enrique Obregón Valverde 2.46 2 New This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below. Results by province

Ballot paper

General elections were held in Costa Rica on 4 February 1962. ^[1] Francisco Orlich Bolmarcich of the National Liberation Party won the presidential election, whilst his party also won the parliamentary election. Voter turnout was 81%. ^[2]

Background

During Mario Echandi's presidency Rafael Angel Calderón, his family and supporters in exile, were allowed to return and a general amnesty was called for everyone involved in the still recent Civil War of 1948. ^[3] Calderón was elected Congressman in the 1958 election. But meanwhile in the past election the National Liberation Party was split due to the separation of the “Rossist” faction in this election Calderon's candidacy unified PLN and other political allies into a strong anti-Calderonist ballot. ^[3]

Both former presidents Otilio Ulate from National Union and Calderón himself from National Republican became candidates. PLN's candidate was, as in 1958, Francisco Orlich, one of the party's founder, commander of one of the fronts during the civil war and Figueres’ close friend. ^[3]

A fourth small left-wing party named Popular Democratic Action led by socialist thinker Enrique Obregón also took part in the election nominating Obregon. ^[3] Communism was illegal according to the Constitution and Marxist Parties were not allowed, but Obregon's party was officially socialist so the prohibition was not endorsed. Even so, Obregón did have the support of the traditional leadership and militancy of the (outlawed) Communist Party. ^[3]

Campaign

All parties promised land reform. Calderon's publicity was particular in saying “Yesterday social reform, today land reform” taking advantage of the socialist reforms during his presidency. ^[3] As the Cuban Revolution was recent the anti-Communist speech was common. All main parties accused each other of having links with Communism; PLN because of its socialist ideology (social democracy) and Figueres alleged friendship with Fidel Castro and Calderón because of his previous alliance with the Communists in the 1940s. ^[3] The far-right anti-Communist group Free Costa Rica Movement paid for a strong anti-Communist propaganda, especially against Popular Democratic Action. ^[3]

Results

President

Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Francisco Orlich Bolmarcich	National Liberation Party	192,850	50.29
	Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia	National Republican Party	135,533	35.34
	Otilio Ulate Blanco	National Union Party	51,740	13.49
	Enrique Obregón Valverde	Popular Democratic Action	3,339	0.87
Total			383,462	100.00
Valid votes			383,462	97.97
Invalid votes			5,020	1.28
Blank votes			2,924	0.75
Total votes			391,406	100.00
Registered voters/turnout			483,980	80.87
Source: Election Resources

By province

Province	Orlich  %	Calderón  %	Ulate  %	Obregón %
San José	49.1	36.7	13.3	0.9
Alajuela	51.9	29.5	18.1	0.6
Cartago	56.7	30.8	12.1	0.5
Heredia	47.6	38.8	12.5	1.1
Puntarenas	43.9	42.2	11.9	2.0
Limón	45.0	46.7	7.3	1.0
Guanacaste	54.4	33.3	11.7	0.6
Total	50.3	35.3	13.5	0.9

Parliament

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	National Liberation Party	184,135	48.85	29	+9
	National Republican Party	126,249	33.49	18	+8
	National Union Party	50,021	13.27	8	–2
	Popular Democratic Action	9,256	2.46	2	New
	Solidarist Action Party	3,358	0.89	0	New
	Alajuelan Party	1,698	0.45	0	New
	National Depuration Movement	1,192	0.32	0	New
	Guanacastecan Independent Union	903	0.24	0	New
	National Renewal Party	125	0.03	0	New
Total		376,937	100.00	57	+12
Valid votes		376,937	96.28
Invalid votes		6,377	1.63
Blank votes		8,186	2.09
Total votes		391,500	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		483,980	80.89
Source: Election Resources

By province

Province	PLN		PRN		PUN		ADP		PAS		PA		MDN		UIG		PREN
	%	S	%	S	%	S	%	S	%	S	%	S	%	S	%	S	%	S
San José	47.1	9	34.4	7	13.0	2	2.6	2	2.2	0	-	-	0.8	0	-	-	-	-
Alajuela	50.3	6	28.0	3	17.0	2	2.3	0	-	-	2.4	0	-	-	-	-	-	-
Cartago	56.2	4	29.8	2	12.8	1	1.2	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Heredia	47.6	2	36.8	1	12.6	1	3.0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Puntarenas	42.9	3	40.1	2	12.1	1	4.9	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Limón	45.3	2	44.1	1	7.0	0	2.8	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	0.8	0
Guanacaste	52.3	3	32.2	2	11.9	1	0.8	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	2.8	0	-	-
Total	48.9	29	33.5	18	13.3	8	2.5	2	0.9	0	0.5	0	0.3	0	0.2	0	0.1	0

Local governments

Party		Votes	%	Seats
				Alderpeople	+/–	Municipal syndics	+/–
	National Liberation Party	187,293	49.87	148	23	280	+17
	National Republican Party	126,849	33.78	93	+46	42	+19
	National Union Party	51,239	13.64	31	–39	2	–30
	Popular Democratic Action	6,643	1.77	2	New	2	New
	Solidarist Action Party	1,371	0.37	1	New	0	New
	Alajuelan Party	724	0.19	0	New	0	New
	Guanacastecan Independent Union Party	550	0.15	0	New	0	New
	National Depuration Movement	470	0.13	0	New	0	New
	National Renewal Party	416	0.11	0	New	0	New
Total		375,555	100.00	275	+21	326	+4
Valid votes		375,555	95.88
Invalid votes		5,932	1.51
Blank votes		10,221	2.61
Total votes		391,708	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		483,980	80.93
Source: TSE [4]

References

1. Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, p155 ISBN   978-0-19-928357-6
2. Nohlen, p156
3. Hernández Naranjo, Gerardo. "Reseña de las elecciones presidenciales de 1962" (PDF) (in Spanish). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 February 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2016.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
4. "Elecciones Regidurías 1962". tse.go.cr (in Spanish). Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones. Retrieved 21 May 2020.