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Ecuadorians put aside their fears of leaving their homes amid unprecedented violence and voted for a new president on Sunday. The special election was heavily guarded by police and soldiers following the assassination of a presidential candidate earlier this month.

According to the country’s top electoral authority, Diana Atamaint, the election was characterized as “peaceful and safe” with no violent incidents affecting voting centers. However, she mentioned that the electronic voting system used by Ecuadorians living abroad was targeted by cyberattacks from China, India, and Bangladesh, although the incidents did not impact vote counts.

The official website of the National Electoral Council experienced technical difficulties on Sunday. Despite this, the council’s social media pages were regularly updated, and over 4% of votes had been processed by Sunday evening.

To ensure the safety of the vote, more than 100,000 police and soldiers were deployed. Several arrests were made, including one for false voting, two for harassment and resisting arrest, and more than 20 for unlawfully carrying guns.

Voting in Ecuador is mandatory for most voters, and many weighed the risk of getting robbed against the fines and inconveniences they could face for not voting.

Front-runners in the election included an ally of exiled former President Rafael Correa and a millionaire with a security background promising to be tough on crime. Ecuadorians have been grappling with a surge in violent crime in recent years, culminating in the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio on August 9.

The election was called after President Guillermo Lasso dissolved the National Assembly in May to avoid impeachment. Lasso decided not to run in the special election. Voters expressed hopes for a better economy, job generation, and an improvement in the country’s social problems.

Despite the challenges, Ecuadorians remain committed to exercising their voting power and hoping for a better future for their country.

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