Bolivia is gearing up to hold a presidential runoff election on Sunday (October 19) after no candidate secured an outright victory in the first round of voting on August 17.

The first-round result marked a stunning blow to the incumbent Movement to Socialism, or MAS party, which has dominated the South American country's politics for almost 20 years.

The runoff pits centrist Senator Rodrigo Paz against conservative former president Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga. Both candidates aim to roll back elements of the MAS-era, state-led model, but differ in how drastically.

Both have also pledged to improve ties with Washington after nearly two decades under socialist governments that aligned more closely with Russia, China, and Iran.

Changes look set to come to Bolivia's state-led economic model amid its worst economic crisis in decades, battered by inflation, fuel and dollar shortages, and declining state revenues. Analysts say once plentiful natural gas exports have plummeted, inflation is at a multi-decade high, and fuel is scarce.

Paz defied expectations by winning the first round with 32% of the vote in a crowded field. Quiroga secured 27%.

Bolivia's electoral tribunal rolled out a new system this year in response to fraud claims made after the 2019 presidential vote that led to widespread unrest and the resignation of former President Evo Morales.

Under the new system, vote tally sheets will be photographed at polling stations and transmitted directly to counting centres. International observers from the European Union and Organization of American States are due to oversee the process.

The tribunal aims to publish 80% of preliminary results on election night. Official results are due within seven days.

The new president will take office on November 8.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

LA PAZ, BOLIVIA (OCTOBER 15, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF ELECTION PACKAGES BEING DISPATCHED, GUARDED BY MILITARY PERSONNEL

2. MILITARY PERSONNEL CARRYING ELECTION BAGS

3. OFFICIAL VEHICLES OF DEPARTMENTAL COURT CARRYING ELECTION PACKAGES

LA PAZ, BOLIVIA (OCTOBER 17, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

4. VARIOUS OF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE JORGE "TUTO" QUIROGA AT NEWS CONFERENCE WITH INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

5. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, JORGE "TUTO" QUIROGA, SAYING:

"I ask everyone to join us this Sunday, to open a path with hope and a bright future for Bolivia. I believe that after 20 destructive, unfortunate and disastrous years, we have a unique opportunity to end that darkness and for the sun of a new dawn to shine for my Bolivia for a long time, we will see that on October 19."

LA PAZ, BOLIVIA (OCTOBER 7, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all) (NIGHT SHOTS)

6. VARIOUS OF SUPPORTERS OF QUIROGA

LA PAZ, BOLIVIA (OCTOBER 8, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

7. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE ARRANGING ELECTORAL MATERIAL

TARIJA, BOLIVIA (OCTOBER 17, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

8. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE FOR CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY, RODRIGO PAZ, SAYING:

"On August 17, the country marked it as a cycle that ended, over and out. We are moving to a new stage of Bolivian democracy in the 21st century, in the bicentennial year. It is hopeful, it is not easy, not at all easy, but people were already exhausted. It was an exhausting cycle, overwhelmed, the abuses, corruption, extreme powers, persecution."

LA PAZ, BOLIVIA (OCTOBER 7, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all) (NIGHT SHOTS)

9. VARIOUS OF SUPPORTERS OF PAZ

LA PAZ, BOLIVIA (OCTOBER 15, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

10. VARIOUS OF ELECTORAL PACKAGES READY TO BE SENT TO THEIR DESTINATIONS

11. POLICE AT SITE

LA PAZ, BOLIVIA (OCTOBER 17, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

12. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) POLITICAL ANALYST, PAUL COCA, SAYING:

"The biggest dilemma that Bolivian voters have at this moment are two, the first of course, the most basic which is who to vote for on Sunday for the second round. The second is to wait and see what the new government will do especially in economic matters because we know that the country is not well, Bolivia is in crisis and the most important thing needed is structural changes."

13. SUPREME ELECTORAL COURT

14. SUPREME ELECTORAL COURT FENCE

15. POLICE OFFICERS GUARDING SUPREME ELECTORAL COURT

16. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) POLITICAL ANALYST, PAUL COCA, SAYING:

"We have had that capacity as Bolivians to always react in time and find a democratic solution. If we are having elections in 2025 and expecting a new government in November is because the Bolivian people made that decision, saying 'we as Bolivians believe in democracy, regardless of the situation we are in and everything should be resolved at the ballot box.'"

EL ALTO, BOLIVIA (OCTOBER 18, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

17. PEOPLE LOOKING AT NEWSPAPERS

18. HEADLINE FROM LA RAZON NEWSPAPER READING (Spanish): "THE COUNTRY CLOSES A CYCLE AND ELECTS ITS NEW PRESIDENT"

19. PEOPLE READING NATIONAL NEWSPAPERS

20. HEADLINE FROM EL ALTENO NEWSPAPER READING (Spanish): "THE PEOPLE HAVE THE LAST WORD BETWEEN PAZ AND TUTO"

LA PAZ, BOLIVIA (OCTOBER 17, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

21. VARIOUS OF PLAZA MURILLO

22. VARIOUS OF PERSON WITH CHILD AT SQUARE

23. CASA GRANDE DEL PUEBLO (GREAT HOUSE OF THE PEOPLE), THE BOLIVIAN PRESIDENTIAL RESIDENCE

24. POLICE OFFICERS IN PLAZA MURILLO

25. PLURINATIONAL LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY BUILDING

26. CLOSE-UP OF KANTUTA, THE NATIONAL FLOWER