General elections were held in Bolivia on 17 August 2025 to elect the president, vice president, and all members of the Plurinational Legislative Assembly. Incumbent president Luis Arce of the ruling Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS-IPSP) did not seek reelection, amid internal party divisions and widespread dissatisfaction over shortages of essential goods. No candidate secured a majority in the presidential election, leading to a runoff on 19 October 2025 between Senator Rodrigo Paz of the Christian Democratic Party (PDC) and former president Jorge Quiroga of Libre. Paz won with 55.0% of the vote, marking the first time in Bolivian history that the presidency changed hands through a runoff election and ending two decades of MAS dominance. Incumbent party MAS suffered near total annihilation, retaining only two seats in the Chamber of Deputies and losing all seats in the Senate.
The election was held amid a schism within the ruling Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) between incumbent president Luis Arce and former president Evo Morales. The former allies fell out after Arce's election in 2020, when MoralesâÂÂreturning from exile following the political unrest triggered by his contested reelection bidâÂÂsought to regain control of the party. Public dissatisfaction with the Arce government was further spurred by shortages of essential goods like gasoline, diesel, food, and medicine in late 2024 and early 2025.
Morales announced his intention to run as the candidate of the Front for Victory (FPV), despite a ban from the Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal on his running for president again. The government subsequently deregistered the FPV, citing its failure to meet the mandatory 3% threshold in the previous election. In reaction to being barred from the race, Morales called for a boycott of the vote. From a rural compound guarded by supporters, he promised to mobilize his supporters and "give battle on the streets" if a right-wing candidate won. Right-wing figures like Jorge Quiroga vowed to arrest Morales if they won, leading rural coca unions such as the Six Federations to pledge a guerrilla war in his defense.
On 14 May 2025, President Arce announced he would not seek a second term. The MAS nominated government minister Eduardo Del Castillo in his place. Two days later, on 16 May, demonstrators attempting to register Morales as a candidate clashed with police in La Paz.
Meanwhile, right-leaning parties formed a Unity Bloc to oppose the MAS; its candidates included Samuel Doria Medina and Jorge Quiroga. Several candidates, including Quiroga and Chi Hyun Chung, registered their campaigns using minor party labels, such as the Revolutionary Left Front (FRI) and the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement (MNR), despite the historical ideological differences between these parties and the candidates.
Approximately 7.9 million people were eligible to vote in the 2025 election.
The President is elected through a modified two-round system. A candidate wins outright in the first round by receiving either more than 50% of the vote, or at least 40% of the vote and a lead of 10 percentage points over the nearest rival. If neither condition is met, a run-off is held between the top two candidates.
The 130 members of the Chamber of Deputies are elected through a mixed-member proportional representation (MMP) system with two votes:
This election uses a form of the double simultaneous vote, meaning a single vote is used to elect the President (first round), Deputies, and Senators simultaneously. Consequently, voters cannot split their ticket between the executive and legislative branches, though they can vote for a different party in the single-member deputy district elections.
Voting is compulsory for all citizens over 18. Voters receive a card as proof of participation, which is required to withdraw one's salary from a bank for three months following the election. This compulsory voting is linked to a relatively high rate of invalid ballots, a factor often reflected in poll percentages for "would not vote."
The following notable individuals were the subject of speculation or declared their intention to run but were declared ineligible by the Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal (TCP) or were otherwise unable to register as candidates.
The following notable individuals were the subject of speculation about a potential candidacy but publicly declined to run:
The campaign was marked by the first televised debate in 20 years, following a ban imposed during Evo Morales's presidency. The debates featured sharp exchanges, including Samuel Doria Medina's accusations that Eduardo del Castillo had links to drug traffickers and del Castillo's criticism of Doria Medina's past electoral failures. Andrónico RodrÃÂguez and Jorge Quiroga also clashed over alleged involvement in extrajudicial killings.
The right-leaning candidates, Samuel Doria Medina and Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga, presented similar platforms focused on economic liberalization and a foreign policy re-alignment. Both pledged to:
Doria Medina specifically promised to resolve fuel shortages within his first 100 days, a goal reflected in his campaign slogan, "100 days, dammit!"âÂÂa phrase he used after surviving a 2005 plane crash. He also pledged to maintain anti-poverty programs.
Quiroga proposed a more radical economic overhaul, praising Argentine president Javier Milei's libertarian policies. His proposals included:
Rodrigo Paz campaigned on a platform of "Capitalism for All", which included:
The MAS candidate, Eduardo del Castillo, campaigned under the slogan "We Are a National Option with Authentic Ideas," while his party colleague Andrónico RodrÃÂguez ran on a platform of "Unity for All" and also supported cutting fuel subsidies.
On environmental policy, both Paz and Quiroga supported using carbon bonds. Quiroga advocated for expanding biofuel production and soy and cattle farming in eastern Bolivia, while Paz pledged to crack down on illegal gold mining and regulate agricultural fires.
After being barred from the election, Evo Morales called the vote illegitimate, labeled RodrÃÂguez a "traitor", and urged his supporters to cast null ballots. He claimed that if null votes exceeded the winning candidate's share - a situation that eventually did not materialize, as both candidates who advanced to the runoff exceeded the null vote share - it would represent a victory for him.
Following the first round, Samuel Doria Medina endorsed Rodrigo Paz for the runoff.
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Voting for the first round took place on 17 August 2025, with polls open from 08:00 to 16:00.
The day was marked by several security incidents. In Chapare Province, former president Evo Morales cast a null ballot while being protected by a human chain of coca growers' union members, who were shielding him from a potential arrest.
In Entre RÃÂos, Cochabamba, Andrónico RodrÃÂguez was targeted by a mob that threw stones at him as he went to vote, requiring a soldier to escort him. RodrÃÂguez blamed the attack on "a small group of extremists identified as supporters of Morales." An explosive device was later detonated at the same polling station, though it caused no significant damage or injuries.
The first-round results ended two decades of left-wing dominance in Bolivia and produced the country's first-ever presidential runoff, defying pre-election polls. In a surprise outcome, centrist Rodrigo Paz led with 32.06% of the vote, followed by conservative Jorge Quiroga RamÃÂrez with 26.70%, while Samuel Doria Medina (19.69%) was eliminated. True to his pledge to back the leading candidate if defeated, Doria Medina endorsed Paz for the runoff. Altogether, right-leaning candidates obtained more than 68% of the vote.
The ruling Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) suffered a historic setback. Its nominees, Andrónico RodrÃÂguez (8.51%) and Eduardo del Castillo (3.17%), failed to reach the second roundâÂÂmarking the party's first presidential loss in twenty years. MAS was nearly wiped out in Congress, losing all 21 Senate seats and retaining only two of its 75 in the Chamber of Deputies. The election also saw an unusually high protest vote, with invalid and blank ballots exceeding 20% of the total. Former president Evo Morales, who had urged supporters to cast null votes after his exclusion from the race, hailed the result as a symbolic victory.
The presidential runoff took place on 19 October 2025. Preliminary results released after 21:00 local time showed Rodrigo Paz winning with 54.53% of the vote against Jorge Quiroga's 45.47%. Quiroga conceded several hours later, acknowledging Paz's victory and calling on his supporters and the nation to pursue reconciliation and a peaceful transition of power.
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