Sandra Torres wins first round of Guatemala elections; poor turnout among voters in U.S.

By Aaron Humes:Sandra Torres of the National Unity of Hope party (UNE) and Alejandro Giammatei of the Vamos Party are confirmed as the second-round candidates for Guatemala’s presidency after neither, as expected, obtained a majority in the first round of voting held on Sunday.

For the first time, according to Prensa Libre newspaper, voting was held among Guatemalan citizens in the United States, with 63,695 eligible to vote in polling stations from California to New York.

 However, as of Sunday evening, just 554 votes had been cast – only 0.86 percent of the total. Giammatei received 88 votes to Sandra Torres’ 21, according to Prensa Libre.

It was a different story inside Guatemala, as Torres secured a quarter of all votes cast, winning every department except for the central Guatemala department containing the capital Guatemala City, won by Giammatei, and a few departments won by other candidates.

The winner of the second round succeeds Jimmy Morales in January. Torres, if elected, would become Guatemala’s first female president.

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