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Presidential election | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Turnout | 69.12% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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![]() Results by canton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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All 57 seats in the Legislative Assembly 29 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
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General elections were held in Costa Rica on 7 February 2010. The ruling party before the election, the center-left National Liberation Party, put forward former Vice-President Laura Chinchilla as its presidential candidate, while the libertarian, Movimiento Libertario nominated former legislator Otto Guevara. Opinion polls before voting started consistently put Chinchilla as the front-runner, a trend confirmed in the election-night count, which showed her garnering 46.76% of the vote. [2]
The election was supervised by observers from several countries, as well as from the Organization of American States. [3] The incumbent president, Óscar Arias, was ineligible to run for a second consecutive term. This was the last time as of 2019, that the National Liberation Party has gotten more than 30% of the vote, the last time to this date that they have won the presidency, and the last time it has won any province in what is known as the Central Valley (the four provinces in the interior of the country: San José, Alajuela, Heredia and Cartago).
Candidates included:
Two weeks before the election, Patriotic Alliance and National Integration Party's candidates, Rolando Araya and Walter Muñoz, stopped their campaigns and endorsed Citizens' Action Party's candidate Otton Solís, in an effort to build a progressive alliance against Laura Chinchilla. [4]
The swifting from a two-party system to a multi-party system was much more evident in this election [5] [6] [7] [8]
For the then three major parties; PLN, PAC and ML the voting for the presidential ballot was superior to the support in the legislative, as for example PLN presidential candidate Laura Chinchilla [5] received 46% [9] of the votes and PLN's legislative ballot only 37%. [1] Similarly PAC's candidate Ottón Solís with 25% [9] presidential against 17% legislative [1] and Otto Guevara with 20% [9] oppose to 14% legislative. [1] Contrary to PUSC whose candidate Luis Fishman received 3% [9] electoral support while his party received 8%. [1]
This was at the time PAC's worst electoral result in its history having the smallest faction in the Parliament [6] and ML's best result with to this date its biggest. [6] PLN only lost one seat. Left-wing Broad Front maintained its only seat in the person of future presidential nominee José María Villalta Florez-Estrada [6] and two Christian parties [10] for the first time had deputies at the same time; Costa Rican Renewal Party and its provincial offshoot National Restoration. [6]
![]() | Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
At 9:08 p.m. local time on election day, 7 February second-placed candidate Otton Solis conceded defeat to Laura Chinchilla, who will become Costa Rica's first female president. With approximately 40% of the vote counted, Chinchilla was consistently surpassing the 40% threshold for victory in the first round, leading Solis by 47% to 24%, with third-placed candidate Otto Guevara trailing at 21.5%. [12]
Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Laura Chinchilla | National Liberation Party | 896,516 | 46.91 | |
Ottón Solís | Citizens' Action Party | 478,877 | 25.05 | |
Otto Guevara | Libertarian Movement | 399,788 | 20.92 | |
Luis Fishman Zonzinski | Social Christian Unity Party | 74,114 | 3.88 | |
Óscar López | Accessibility without Exclusion | 36,104 | 1.89 | |
Mayra González | Costa Rican Renewal Party | 13,945 | 0.73 | |
Eugenio Trejos | Broad Front | 6,782 | 0.35 | |
Rolando Araya Monge | Patriotic Alliance | 3,158 | 0.17 | |
Walter Muñoz | National Integration Party | 2,049 | 0.11 | |
Total | 1,911,333 | 100.00 | ||
Valid votes | 1,911,333 | 97.97 | ||
Invalid votes | 32,555 | 1.67 | ||
Blank votes | 6,959 | 0.36 | ||
Total votes | 1,950,847 | 100.00 | ||
Registered voters/turnout | 2,822,491 | 69.12 | ||
Source: Election Resources |
Province % | PLN % | PAC % | ML % | PUSC % | PASE % | PRC % | Other % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | 46.6 | 28.9 | 17.6 | 3.6 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
![]() | 45.3 | 26.5 | 21.9 | 3.2 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.5 |
![]() | 49.7 | 23.5 | 19.4 | 4.2 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 0.7 |
![]() | 46.6 | 27.6 | 19.5 | 3.2 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 0.7 |
![]() | 48.9 | 17.3 | 26.7 | 4.4 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.6 |
![]() | 41.6 | 17.5 | 31.4 | 5.0 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 0.9 |
![]() | 51.4 | 15.9 | 23.3 | 6.1 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 0.6 |
Total | 46.8 | 25.1 | 20.9 | 3.9 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 0.8 |
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Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |
National Liberation Party | 708,043 | 37.27 | 24 | –1 | |
Citizens' Action Party | 334,636 | 17.61 | 11 | –6 | |
Libertarian Movement | 275,518 | 14.50 | 9 | +3 | |
Accessibility without Exclusion | 171,858 | 9.05 | 4 | +3 | |
Social Christian Unity Party | 155,047 | 8.16 | 6 | +1 | |
Costa Rican Renewal Party | 73,150 | 3.85 | 1 | +1 | |
Broad Front | 68,987 | 3.63 | 1 | 0 | |
National Restoration Party | 29,530 | 1.55 | 1 | 0 | |
Patriotic Alliance | 28,349 | 1.49 | 0 | New | |
National Integration Party | 14,643 | 0.77 | 0 | 0 | |
Cartago Agrarian Union Party | 11,862 | 0.62 | 0 | 0 | |
Heredia Restoration Party | 7,953 | 0.42 | 0 | New | |
Alajuela Restoration Party | 7,298 | 0.38 | 0 | New | |
Cartaginese Transparency Party | 4,590 | 0.24 | 0 | New | |
Green Ecologist Party | 2,901 | 0.15 | 0 | New | |
Elderly Alliance Party | 2,724 | 0.14 | 0 | New | |
Alajuelan Familiar Force Party | 1,609 | 0.08 | 0 | New | |
Workers' and Farmers' Movement | 1,127 | 0.06 | 0 | New | |
Total | 1,899,825 | 100.00 | 57 | 0 | |
Valid votes | 1,899,825 | 97.39 | |||
Invalid votes | 30,806 | 1.58 | |||
Blank votes | 20,077 | 1.03 | |||
Total votes | 1,950,708 | 100.00 | |||
Registered voters/turnout | 2,822,491 | 69.11 | |||
Source: Election Resources |
Province | PLN | PAC | ML | PUSC | PASE | PRC | FA | PREN | AP | Other | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
% | S | % | S | % | S | % | S | % | S | % | S | % | S | % | S | % | S | % | S | |
![]() | 35.5 | 7 | 19.0 | 4 | 12.3 | 2 | 7.4 | 2 | 11.1 | 2 | 3.0 | 1 | 4.7 | 1 | 4.3 | 1 | 1.1 | 0 | 1.6 | 0 |
![]() | 38.2 | 5 | 19.9 | 2 | 16.5 | 2 | 6.5 | 1 | 8.5 | 1 | 6.5 | 0 | 1.3 | 0 | 2.0 | 0 | 1.9 | 0 | 0.8 | 0 |
![]() | 38.9 | 3 | 17.0 | 1 | 13.1 | 1 | 7.6 | 1 | 7.9 | 1 | 2.8 | 0 | 2.8 | 0 | - | 0 | 1.2 | 0 | 8.5 | 0 |
![]() | 37.0 | 2 | 19.1 | 2 | 13.9 | 1 | 7.3 | 0 | 8.7 | 0 | 2.9 | 0 | 4.8 | 0 | 4.0 | 0 | 1.9 | 0 | 0.5 | 0 |
![]() | 39.7 | 2 | 14.3 | 1 | 18.6 | 1 | 13.8 | 1 | 5.1 | 0 | 4.3 | 0 | 2.2 | 0 | - | 0 | 1.1 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 |
![]() | 33.3 | 2 | 12.0 | 1 | 20.1 | 1 | 10.2 | 1 | 5.6 | 0 | 8.6 | 0 | 7.3 | 0 | - | 0 | 1.2 | 0 | 1.8 | 0 |
![]() | 43.1 | 3 | 11.6 | 0 | 13.5 | 1 | 11.0 | 0 | 10.0 | 0 | 5.1 | 0 | 2.2 | 0 | - | 0 | 3.1 | 0 | 0.3 | 0 |
Total | 37.3 | 24 | 17.6 | 11 | 14.5 | 9 | 8.2 | 6 | 9.0 | 4 | 3.9 | 1 | 3.6 | 1 | 2.4 | 1 | 1.5 | 0 | 2.0 | 0 |
The elections of municipal councilors of Costa Rica in 2010 were an electoral process held in parallel with the presidential and legislative elections. In them the 495 tenure aldermen and the 495 alternates that conform the 81 Municipal Councils were chosen.
The Central Canton of San José, the most populous, named 13 aldermen. Desamparados and Alajuela named 11. Others less populated (Puntarenas, Limón, Pococí, Heredia, Cartago, La Unión, San Carlos, Goicoechea, Pérez Zeledón, etc.) named 9. Others even smaller (Tibás, Grecia, Vázquez de Coronado, Montes de Oca, Siquirres, Escazú, Turrialba, etc.) appointed 7 council members. Finally, the smallest (Turrubares, San Mateo, Santa Ana, Mora, Montes de Oro, Talamanca, etc.) named 5.
Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
National Liberation Party | 700,659 | 37.05 | 196 | –32 | |
Citizens' Action Party | 331,167 | 17.51 | 100 | –39 | |
Libertarian Movement | 255,411 | 13.51 | 76 | +40 | |
Social Christian Unity Party | 174,462 | 9.22 | 55 | –4 | |
Accessibility without Exclusion | 143,273 | 7.58 | 22 | New | |
Costa Rican Renewal Party | 51,302 | 2.71 | 10 | +6 | |
Broad Front | 45,399 | 2.40 | 1 | +1 | |
Patriotic Alliance | 28,738 | 1.52 | 3 | New | |
National Restoration Party | 24,690 | 1.31 | 1 | –1 | |
21st Century Curridabat | 5,643 | 0.30 | 4 | +2 | |
Renew Alajuela Party | 13,403 | 0.71 | 1 | New | |
National Integration Party | 10,121 | 0.54 | 0 | 0 | |
Heredia Restoration Party | 8,797 | 0.47 | 0 | New | |
Escazu's Progressive Yoke | 8,145 | 0.43 | 2 | 0 | |
Green Ecologist Party | 5,319 | 0.28 | 0 | 0 | |
Sancarlenean Alliance Coalition (FA–AP) | 4,895 | 0.26 | 1 | New | |
Cartago Agrarian Union Party | 9,029 | 0.48 | 1 | –1 | |
Ramonense League Coalition (FA–AP) | 4,662 | 0.25 | 1 | New | |
Palmarenean Union Party | 4,158 | 0.22 | 2 | 0 | |
Party of the Sun | 4,077 | 0.22 | 2 | 0 | |
Fuenteovejuna Civic Party of Tibás | 3,655 | 0.19 | 1 | New | |
Alajuela Restoration Party | 3,414 | 0.18 | 0 | New | |
Santo Domingo Advancement Movement | 3,398 | 0.18 | 1 | New | |
Goicoechea in Action Party | 3,348 | 0.18 | 1 | +1 | |
United Barva Coalition (FA–PASE) | 3,017 | 0.16 | 1 | New | |
Alajuelense Coalition (FA–AP) | 2,980 | 0.16 | 1 | New | |
The Bridge and Paths of Mora | 2,962 | 0.16 | 1 | –1 | |
Authentic Labourer of Coronado Party | 2,848 | 0.15 | 1 | 0 | |
Ateniense Union Party | 2,602 | 0.14 | 1 | New | |
Barbarenean Integration Party | 2,369 | 0.13 | 1 | New | |
Elderly Alliance Party | 2,279 | 0.12 | 0 | New | |
Unique Abangarean Party | 2,229 | 0.12 | 2 | New | |
Cantonal Action Independent Siquirres Party | 2,116 | 0.11 | 1 | 0 | |
United Montes de Oca Coalition (FA–PH) | 2,086 | 0.11 | 0 | New | |
Social Active Organization | 2,025 | 0.11 | 1 | New | |
Independent Belemite Party | 2,014 | 0.11 | 1 | 0 | |
Live Buenos Aires Party | 1,791 | 0.09 | 1 | New | |
Communal Pro-Curri Party | 1,718 | 0.09 | 0 | –1 | |
United Heredia Coalition (FA–PH) | 1,403 | 0.07 | 0 | New | |
Quepeña Action Party | 1,386 | 0.07 | 0 | –2 | |
Autonomous Oromontan Party | 1,170 | 0.06 | 1 | 0 | |
Workers' and Peasants' Movement | 1,120 | 0.06 | 0 | 0 | |
Naranjenean Action Party | 1,047 | 0.06 | 0 | New | |
Alfaro Ruiz Peoples' Coalition (FA–AP) | 1,023 | 0.05 | 1 | New | |
Tarrazú First Party | 991 | 0.05 | 0 | New | |
Barbarenean Coalition (FA–AP) | 831 | 0.04 | 0 | New | |
Ecological Garabito Party | 709 | 0.04 | 1 | 0 | |
United Talamanca Party | 508 | 0.03 | 0 | New | |
Aguirre Labour Organization Party | 456 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | |
Poasenean Patriotic Front Coalition (FA–AP) | 345 | 0.02 | 0 | New | |
Total | 1,891,190 | 100.00 | 496 | –4 | |
Valid votes | 1,891,190 | 97.17 | |||
Invalid/blank votes | 55,066 | 2.83 | |||
Total votes | 1,946,256 | 100.00 | |||
Registered voters/turnout | 2,822,491 | 68.96 | |||
Source: TSE [13] |
The politics of Costa Rica take place in a framework of a presidential, representative democratic republic, with a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the president and their cabinet, and the President of Costa Rica is both the head of state and head of government. Legislative power is vested in the Legislative Assembly. The president and 57 Legislative Assembly deputies are elected for four-year terms. The judiciary operates independently from the executive and the legislature, but is involved in the political process. Costa Rica has a strong system of constitutional checks and balances. Voting is compulsory de jure, but this is not enforced.
The Libertarian Movement Party is a political party based on libertarian conservatism in Costa Rica. It was founded in May 1994. After an important protagonism during early 2000s with its perennial nominee Otto Guevara among the main candidates and reaching third place in 2006 and 2010, it was affected by several corruption scandals and lack of funds, the party gradually suffered a debacle in 2014 ending in fourth on the presidential ticket, and fifth in Parliament. Later losing all its mayors in the mid-term local election of 2016, to finally having bad results in 2018 with Guevara's candidacy reaching only 1% of support and losing all seats in Congress.
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The Citizens' Action Party is a political party in Costa Rica.
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Ottón Solís Fallas is a Costa Rican politician. He graduated with a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Costa Rica in 1976 and gained a master's degree in economics from the University of Manchester in 1978. He is currently serving his second term as congressman, was a founding member of the Citizens' Action Party, and ran as its three-time presidential candidate. As an academic, he has taught at several universities in the United States and Costa Rica.
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