Ecuador’s center-right President Daniel Noboa fell short of securing an outright majority in the country’s general election, according to results available on Monday, setting the stage for a run-off vote against his nearest leftist rival.

An April presidential run-off in Ecuador will pit incumbent Daniel Noboa against leftist Luisa Gonzalez, in an unexpectedly tight contest featuring the same two candidates who were in a 2023 snap election.

Polls have opened in a presidential election in Ecuador that has shaped up to be a repeat of the 2023 race, when voters chose a young, conservative millionaire over the leftist protégée of the country’s most influential president this century.

Daniel Noboa and Luisa González will face off in a second round on April 13.

Noboa says his deployment of the military on the streets and within prisons has reduced violent deaths by 15%, led to a drastic fall in prison violence, and helped in the capture of major gang leaders.

Ecuador will choose its next president in a runoff election after conservative incumbent Daniel Noboa and leftist lawyer Luisa González garnered enough votes Sunday to beat 14 other candidates.

A lawyer with limited political experience, Luisa González is vying for Ecuador’s presidency for a second time

Daniel Noboa and his main challenger Luisa Gonzalez received near identical percentages of the vote.

A run-off looked likely in Ecuador's presidential race late on Sunday, as leftist Luisa Gonzalez climbed nearer to incumbent Daniel Noboa in a half-finished vote tally. Noboa is leading the count with 45.