In less than five months, Costa Ricans will vote to elect the new president, and if the day before is determined, the country will register a record number of citizen participation.
And only 19% of voters currently indicate they will not vote, according to the Center for Political Research and Studies (CIEP) of the UCR. In other words, it is estimated that eight out of ten Costa Ricans will go to the polls, which means that abstention rates will be reduced by half compared to the 2022 election.
But what motivates Costa Ricans to vote?
First, it’s possible to observe that 87.6% of those surveyed indicate they strongly agree or agree that they will decide their vote to “remove power from the same old people,” while 85.1% say they strongly agree or agree that their vote will be to “return power to the people,” according to the UCR.
“These two statements are framed within a style of populist statements against the traditional elite and respond to a climate of social polarization that supports a change in the ruling elites,” explains the UCR. In this case, parties such as the PLN, the PUSC, and the PAC—which have governed in recent decades—are the ones singled out by Costa Ricans.
The 3 main problems
On the other hand, Costa Ricans are clear about the problems that most concern them and that, in theory, would mobilize them to support a particular candidate. Insecurity and crime lead with 45%, corruption is in second place with 15.5% of mentions, and the cost of living and the economic situation are in third place with 6.9% of responses, maintaining their level from April.
“Insecurity triples the mention of corruption and far surpasses all other issues, consolidating its position as the dominant concern. Regarding confidence in the government’s ability to solve the country’s main problem, 37% of people expressed no confidence; meanwhile, 32% indicated they have little confidence,” the report explained.
No Favorite
Finally, with less than five months until the elections, there is no favorite presidential candidate. The poll shows the ruling party’s Laura Fernández, of the Sovereign People’s Party, with more support than the other candidates, but her support remains low, with only 12% of voting intention.
The survey also shows that 7% of those interviewed report they will vote for President Rodrigo Chaves, despite the fact that he is constitutionally barred from running. However, the researchers do not automatically assume this political support for the Rodriguez candidate.
Rounding out the top three are Álvaro Ramos of the National Liberation Party (6%) and Ariel Robles of the Broad Front (5%). On the other hand, the most important piece of data from the survey indicates that 57% of voters are currently undecided, meaning the election is up in the air.
Motivations
Costa Ricans are clearly annoyed with traditional politicians, and therefore, 87.6% of those surveyed indicate they strongly agree and agree that they will decide their vote to “Remove power from the same old people.” (Percentage figures according to the CIEP of the UCR).
Determined to Vote
If the day before is judged by the date, a large percentage of Costa Ricans would vote in the February presidential and congressional elections (Percentage figures according to the UCR CIEP).
Main National Problem
Insecurity is the country’s main problem, with at least 50% identifying it as their number one concern, considering the responses “insecurity and crime” and “drugs and drug trafficking.” (Percentage figures according to the UCR CIEP).
The survey was conducted by cell phone. 1,003 telephone interviews were completed with people over 18 years of age between September 1 and 4. Based on the interviews and using a 95% confidence level, a maximum sampling error of ±3 percentage points is estimated.
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