With 25 candidates, Costa Rica’s election up for grabs

By JAVIER CÓRDOBA
Associated Press

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) — Costa Ricans head into national elections Sunday facing a dizzying array of 25 candidates for president, no dominant issue to drive turnout and nearly one-third of those intending to vote saying they have no clear idea of who their selection will be. Those factors make it highly likely that Costa Rica will hold a second round of voting April 3 between the top two vote getters to determine its next president. The last poll published Tuesday by the University of Costa Rica’s Center of Political Research and Studies showed that 31% (about 700,000) people who planned to vote Sunday remained undecided. With no candidate polling above 17%, that did not come as a shock.