Polling stations opened across Bolivia on Sunday for a presidential and congressional vote that could end two decades of left-wing rule by the Movement Toward Socialism. Almost eight million citizens are eligible to choose a president, vice-president and a full 166-seat legislature for the 2025-30 term, with the ballot taking place against a backdrop of fuel shortages, scarce dollars and inflation approaching 25 %. Surveys published ahead of the vote put centre-right businessman Samuel Doria Medina and former president Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga virtually tied at around 20 % of voter intention, well ahead of left-leaning senator Andrónico Rodríguez and MAS contender Eduardo del Castillo. If no candidate secures an outright majority or at least 40 % plus a 10-point margin, the top two finishers will meet in a run-off on 19 October. The contest follows a deep split inside MAS. President Luis Arce declined to seek a second term, while party founder Evo Morales, disqualified by the constitutional court, is urging supporters to spoil their ballots. Interior Minister Roberto Ríos said roughly 1,250 people were detained in the run-up to the vote on alcohol and curfew violations and warned of possible attempts by pro-Morales groups to disrupt the process. More than 25,000 police officers have been deployed, and observers from the Organization of American States and the European Union are on the ground. Both leading candidates promise austerity measures and tougher anti-drug policies, signalling a potential pivot toward Washington and away from MAS’s state-led economic model. Preliminary results covering at least 80 % of the count are expected late Sunday, with the new administration due to take office on 8 November.