Bolivia votes as MAS faces conservative frontrunners

Bolivia heads to the polls on Sunday with the country’s longest-serving leftist coalition facing its first real test in two decades. After years of economic turmoil, a sharp decline in gas revenue, and a fracturing of the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS), two conservative candidates are leading in most surveys while MAS-aligned contenders trail in the single digits. With outgoing president Luis Arce not seeking re-election and former president Evo Morales remaining a polarizing figure, the election is shaping up as a pivotal moment for Bolivia’s political future and its long-running left-right balance.

Voters will choose a president and vice president, as well as all seats in the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. Turnout is expected to be high, with nearly eight million eligible voters facing a ballot that could determine whether Bolivia remains in MAS’s orbit or moves toward a rightward shift after 20 years of left-rule. Polls consistently show a tight race at the top, with centrist-right businessman Samuel Doria Medina and former president Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga each hovering around 20 percent, and several other candidates far behind. A runoff remains likely unless one...