Iván Cepeda, the presidential candidate for the Pacto Histórico, said the current election pre-count results are unofficial and non-binding on Monday.
The statement comes as early data indicates Abelardo de la Espriella is leading the second round of the presidential race [2]. Because these figures do not yet constitute a legal certification, the official outcome remains pending verification by electoral authorities.
Speaking at the Royal Center in Bogotá, Cepeda addressed his supporters to clarify the status of the data. He said, "El preconteo es un dato no oficial ni vinculante," or "The pre-count is a non-official and non-binding datum" [2].
Despite the pre-count showing de la Espriella ahead [2], Cepeda focused on the scale of his own coalition's support. He thanked 12.7 million Colombians for their votes [1].
Cepeda said the support from these 12.7 million citizens consolidates the conviction that a deep, democratic, and social change for Colombian society is possible [1]. The candidate used the appearance to express gratitude to those who participated in the electoral process.
The distinction between a pre-count and an official count is a critical step in the Colombian electoral process. While pre-counts provide an immediate snapshot of voter trends, they lack the legal weight of the final tally conducted by the National Registry.
“"The pre-count is a non-official and non-binding datum"”
By labeling the pre-count as non-binding, Cepeda is managing expectations and maintaining a legal window for the official tally to potentially alter the outcome. This rhetoric is common in high-stakes elections to prevent premature concessions while acknowledging the current trend of the vote.
