Presidential elections in Uruguay will see a leftist history teacher and a center-right veterinarian face off next month in a probable second round, according to projections based on exit polls.

Yamandu Orsi of former President Jose Mujica's Frente Amplio alliance and Alvaro Delgado of the ruling center-right coalition would compete to win in the November 24 election runoff, the projections showed.

What do Uruguay's exit polls suggest?

Early exit polls suggested that 57-year-old Orsi is ahead of his conservative rival, Delgado. Orsi had 43.9% of the vote while Delgado had 26.7%, according to the exit polls conducted by polling firm Cifra.

Ahead of the first round of elections held on Sunday, polling firms had indicated that no presidential candidate would be able to get more than 50% of the vote.

In Uruguay, a second round of elections is held when no candidate wins a clear majority over the 50% threshold.

Orsi and Delgado beat off nine other candidates competing to replace Lacalle Pou, who has a 50% approval rating but is barred from seeking a second five-year term due to a constitutional ban on consecutive reelection.

The electoral body in Uruguay is expected to release final results in the early hours of Monday.

What does Orsi's lead in the first round mean?

Uruguay could see a leftist government after five years of conservative rule if Orsi secures a win in the runoff elections.

Orsi has the backing of Mujica, the 89-year-old former leftist guerrilla-turned-politician who is battling cancer.

The candidate is also supported by moderate groups who like his business-friendly tone. 

On Sunday, Orsi rallied voters and called for a final push "with more desire than ever" at the runoff. "There is little left, we will triumph!" he said.

Meanwhile, Delgado's supporters celebrated his runoff spot at a rival gathering in the low-income district of Montevideo, chanting, "They're not coming back, they're not coming back," in reference to the left.

What is the political situation in Uruguay? 

According to recent polls, crime is the biggest election topic for voters in this election. Much of the violence is blamed on drug trafficking to the port of the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo, from where it is shipped to Europe.

Sunday also saw Uruguayans vote on a center-right backed proposal to allow police to carry out night-time raids on homes as part of the fight against drugs. However, it did not receive the 50% of votes needed for it to be approved.

Uruguay, a country of around 3.4 million inhabitants, has high per-capita income and low levels of poverty compared to its South American neighbors.

The country has gained a reputation as a liberal mold-breaker under Mujica and left-wing president Tabare Vasquez between 2005 and 2020.

It was the world's first country to allow recreational cannabis use, and the first in Latin America to ban smoking in public places.

Abortion and same-sex marriage have also been legalized in Uruguay, and the country is seen as a trailblazer in transitioning away from fossil fuels, with over 90% of its electricity coming from renewable sources.

mfi/jsi (AFP, Reuters)