1999 Uruguayan general election

1999 Uruguayan general election

← 1994 31 October 1999 (first round) 29 November 1999 (second round) 2004 →
Registered	2,402,160
Turnout	91.79% (first round) 0.41pp 91.84% (second round)
Presidential election
Nominee Jorge Batlle Tabaré Vázquez Party Colorado Party Broad Front Running mate Luis Antonio Hierro López Rodolfo Nin Popular vote 1,158,708 982,049 Percentage 54.13% 45.87%
President before election Julio María Sanguinetti Colorado Party Elected President Jorge Batlle Colorado Party
Parliamentary election
Party Leader % Seats +/– Chamber Broad Front Tabaré Vázquez 40.11 40 +9 Colorado Party Jorge Batlle 32.78 33 +1 National Party Luis Alberto Lacalle 22.31 22 −9 New Space Rafael Michelini 4.56 4 −1 Senate Broad Front Tabaré Vázquez 40.11 12 +3 Colorado Party Jorge Batlle 32.78 10 −1 National Party Luis Alberto Lacalle 22.31 7 −3 New Space Rafael Michelini 4.56 1 0 This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
Presidential election first round results Presidential election second round results Parliamentary election results

Politics of Uruguay
Constitution Current constitution (1997) Previous constitutions 1830 1918 1934 1942 1952 1967
Executive President (list) Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou Cabinet
Legislative Vice President Beatriz Argimón General Assembly Senate President Chamber of Representatives President Palacio Legislativo
Judiciary Supreme Court
Administrative divisions Departments Municipalities
Elections Political parties Recent elections General: 2014 2019 2024 Municipal: 2010 2015 2020 Electoral Court Ley de Lemas (voting system)
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Relations Minister: Omar Paganini (list) Diplomatic missions of / in Uruguay Nationality law Passport Visa requirements Visa policy
See also Law of Uruguay Civil Code State companies
Uruguay portal Other countries
v t e

General elections were held in Uruguay on 31 October 1999, alongside a double referendum, with a second round of the presidential election on 28 November.^[1] The elections were the first in Uruguay since World War I that were not dominated by the Colorado Party and the National Party. The Broad Front had begun gaining popularity in 1994, and had become a key player in Uruguayan politics by 1999.^[2]

The Broad Front–Progressive Encounter alliance became the largest faction in the General Assembly, winning the most seats in both the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. In the presidential elections, Tabaré Vázquez of the Broad Front received the most votes in the first round, but was defeated by Jorge Batlle of the Colorado Party in the second round.^[3][4] The National Party suffered the worst showing in its history, falling to third place in both chambers behind the Broad Front and Colorados.^[2] In the second round, Batlle formed an alliance with the National Party; according to The New York Times, the traditional parties' decision to put aside their rivalry of over a century and a half helped Batlle win the presidency on his fifth attempt.^[5]

Electoral system

Changes to the electoral law prior to the elections allowed third parties like the Broad Front a wider opportunity for participation. Parties were now required to hold primaries on the same day in April to elect a single presidential candidate; previously several candidates from a single party had been able to run for the presidency. The reforms also introduced the two-round system for the presidential election, with a candidate now required to receive over 50% of the vote to be elected in the first round, or face a run-off against the second-place candidate. Although the double simultaneous vote method (in which voters cast a single vote for the party of their choice for the Presidency, Senate and Chamber of Representatives) was retained, it prevented parties from submitting different lists.^[6]

The 30 members of the Senate were elected by proportional representation in a single nationwide constituency,^[7] whilst the 99 members of the Chamber of Representatives were elected by proportional representation in 19 multi-member constituencies based on the departments. Seats were allocated using the highest averages method.^[8]

Primaries

The requirement to choose a single presidential candidate created tension in some parties. The National Party chose Luis Alberto Lacalle, who had been president from 1990 to 1995. The Colorado Party primaries were won by Jorge Batlle, whilst the Broad Front selected Tabaré Vázquez.^[9]

Campaign

The Colorado Party spent the most on the campaign, spending the equivalent of US$11.1m ($3.1m in the primaries and $8m in the main election). The Broad Front spend $8m ($670,000 during the primaries and $7.4m during the main campaign) and the National Party $7m ($2m in the primaries and $5m during the main election). Other parties spent $500,000 during both stages of the elections.^[10]

Results

Party		Presidential candidate	First round		Second round		Seats
			Votes	%	Votes	%	Chamber	+/–	Senate	+/–
	Broad Front–Progressive Encounter	Tabaré Vázquez	861,202	40.11	981,778	45.87	40	+9	12	+3
	Colorado Party	Jorge Batlle	703,915	32.78	1,158,708	54.13	33	+1	10	–1
	National Party	Luis Alberto Lacalle	478,980	22.31			22	–9	7	–3
	New Space	Rafael Michelini	97,943	4.56			4	–1	1	0
	Civic Union	Luis Pieri	5,109	0.24			0	0	0	0
Total			2,147,149	100.00	2,140,486	100.00	99	0	30	–1
Valid votes			2,147,149	97.38	2,140,486	97.03
Invalid/blank votes			57,735	2.62	65,626	2.97
Total votes			2,204,884	100.00	2,206,112	100.00
Registered voters/turnout			2,402,160	91.79	2,402,135	91.84
Source: Nohlen

Distribution by department

References