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Uruguay's moderate election race bucks trend of regional political divides

Unlike sharp right-left divides in Argentina, Brazil or Mexico, Uruguay's political arena sees a significant overlap between the major conservative and liberal coalitions

Voters in Uruguay, known for its beaches, legalised marijuana and stability, went to the polls on Sunday in an election race between moderates that contrasted with the polarized politics in many other Latin American countries.

The nation of 3.4 million was voting for its next president and lawmakers, with pollsters predicting a run-off will likely be needed in November. Simultaneous referendums on pension reform and boosting police powers were more divisive.

But unlike sharp right-left divides in Argentina, Brazil or Mexico, Uruguay's political arena is relatively tension-free, with significant overlap between the major conservative and liberal coalitions taking some of the sting out of the result.

"The two main camps are more or less the same in terms of macroeconomic policy or the vision for what Uruguay is and how to face various economic challenges," said Uruguayan economist Maria Dolores Benavente.

The vote in the small South American nation saw Broad Front center-left candidate Yamandu Orsi, the pre-election favorite, take on continuity conservative contender Alvaro Delgado. Behind them was young, social media-savvy conservative Andres Ojeda.

Polls showed Orsi in the lead, but indicated no presidential candidate would likely get more than 50% of the vote, meaning a second round run-off would be held on November 24 between Sunday's top two finishers.

Ballot stations opened at 8am (1100 GMT) and close at 7.30pm local time, with results expected two hours later.

There was bigger tension in two binding plebiscites, also on Sunday. One asked whether to overhaul Uruguay's $22.5 billion private pension system, which has drawn criticism from politicians across the aisle who say it could hurt the economy.

Uruguayans will also vote on whether to remove constitutional curbs on nighttime police raids targeting private homes as a way to combat drug-related crime, a rising concern for voters. Both referendums require simple majorities to pass.

"We must take control of our safety," Orsi told a campaign rally this week, pledging to be tough on crime.

The ruling conservative coalition is struggling to defend its security record but hopes successes on the economy - with both employment and real salaries now on the rise - may be enough to convince voters to choose continuity over change.

"We have a better country than in 2019," Delgado said in a campaign speech in the city of Las Piedras, referring to the previous election. "The alternative is to go backwards."