The race had become genuinely competitive by June
En el umbral de un cambio histórico, Colombia se preparaba para elegir entre dos visiones opuestas de su futuro: la del izquierdista Gustavo Petro, quien lideró la primera vuelta con el 40% de los votos, y la del independiente Rodolfo Hernández, quien remontó posiciones hasta empatar técnicamente en las encuestas. El 19 de junio de 2022, más de 39 millones de ciudadanos colombianos tendrían la palabra, en una jornada que cerraría a las 4 de la tarde y cuyos resultados oficiales llegarían solo tras un escrutinio riguroso y completo. Lo que comenzó como una ventaja clara se había convertido en una incertidumbre genuina, recordándonos que las democracias viven precisamente en ese espacio entre la primera intención y el veredicto final.
- Una ventaja de 12 puntos porcentuales en la primera vuelta se evaporó en semanas, convirtiendo lo que parecía una carrera decidida en un empate técnico que mantenía al país en vilo.
- Más de 39 millones de colombianos estaban llamados a las urnas el 19 de junio, mientras casi un millón de compatriotas en el exterior ya habían comenzado a votar desde el 23 de mayo en 67 países.
- Los votos de los candidatos eliminados —especialmente el 24% de Gutiérrez y el 4% de Fajardo— se convirtieron en el factor decisivo, y su redistribución entre los dos finalistas era la gran incógnita que tensaba cada pronóstico.
- El proceso electoral avanzaba en dos tiempos: un preconteo inmediato al cierre de urnas que se extendería hasta la medianoche, seguido de un escrutinio formal sin el cual la Registraduría no podría proclamar resultados oficiales.
- Colombia vivía ese instante suspendido entre lo que fue y lo que sería, con el resultado final dependiendo no solo de los votos emitidos, sino de la paciencia y confianza de una ciudadanía que esperaba la palabra definitiva de sus instituciones.
Colombia se encaminaba el 19 de junio de 2022 hacia una segunda vuelta presidencial que definiría el rumbo del país por los próximos cuatro años. Los dos finalistas eran Gustavo Petro, quien había dominado la primera ronda del 29 de mayo con el 40% de los votos, y Rodolfo Hernández, quien había quedado segundo con el 28%, dejando atrás a Federico Gutiérrez con el 24% y a Sergio Fajardo con apenas el 4%.
Sin embargo, las semanas transcurridas entre ambas vueltas transformaron el panorama. Los especialistas electorales comenzaron a hablar de empate técnico, señal de que el electorado seguía profundamente dividido y de que los votantes de los candidatos eliminados no habían migrado de forma uniforme hacia ninguno de los dos finalistas. Lo que en mayo parecía una ventaja sólida se había vuelto incierto en junio.
Para la jornada del 19 de junio, los centros de votación abrirían a las 8 de la mañana y cerrarían a las 4 de la tarde en todo el territorio nacional. Los colombianos en el exterior —casi 973.000 votantes registrados en 67 países— ya habían comenzado a sufragar desde el 23 de mayo. Quienes necesitaran consultar su puesto y mesa de votación podían hacerlo a través del portal Infovotantes de la Registraduría.
Al cierre de urnas comenzaría de inmediato el preconteo, una fase de conteo preliminar que se extendería hasta la medianoche. Solo después vendría el escrutinio formal, el proceso de verificación exhaustiva que la ley exige antes de que la Registraduría pueda proclamar los resultados oficiales. Colombia, en suma, tendría que esperar: la democracia, como siempre, pedía tiempo y rigor antes de entregar su veredicto.
Colombia was heading toward a presidential runoff on June 19, 2022, that would determine who would lead the country for the next four years. Two candidates had advanced past the first round held on May 29: Gustavo Petro and Rodolfo Hernández. The gap between them had narrowed considerably since that initial vote, despite Petro's commanding lead in the first round.
When nearly all ballots from the first round were counted—99 percent of the preliminary tally—Petro held 40 percent of the vote while Hernández trailed at 28 percent. The other two major candidates, Federico Gutiérrez and Sergio Fajardo, finished well behind. Gutiérrez captured 24 percent, and Fajardo managed only 4 percent. But as the days between the first and second rounds passed, the political landscape shifted. Electoral specialists began describing the race as a technical tie, suggesting that the momentum had swung or that the electorate remained genuinely divided between the two finalists.
More than 39 million Colombians were eligible to cast ballots in the runoff. Voting would take place across the country on Sunday, June 19, with polls opening at 8 in the morning and closing at 4 in the afternoon. For Colombians living abroad, voting had already begun earlier in the month—on May 23—and would continue through the day of the domestic election. Electoral officials had set up polling stations in 67 countries to accommodate the 972,764 overseas voters who were registered to participate.
The mechanics of the count were spelled out clearly by electoral law. Once the polls closed at 4 p.m., electoral workers would immediately begin the preliminary count, or preconteo, which would continue until midnight. During those eight hours, as votes were tallied and verified, the first results would begin flowing in. News outlets and the public would be able to track the progress of the count as it unfolded.
But the preliminary count was not the final word. After that initial tally was complete, the full scrutiny process would begin—a more thorough verification of the ballots and the numbers. Only once that process was finished and the information had been checked would the Registraduría, Colombia's electoral authority, announce the official results. Voters who wanted to know their assigned polling place and table number could look up that information through the Registraduría's Infovotantes website.
The runoff represented a significant moment for Colombia. The first round had produced a clear frontrunner in Petro, but the second round appeared to be genuinely competitive. What had seemed like a decisive outcome in late May had become uncertain by mid-June, shaped by the intervening days of campaigning, political maneuvering, and the shifting calculations of voters who had supported candidates now eliminated from contention.
Notable Quotes
Electoral specialists described the race as a technical tie heading into the runoff— Electoral analysts cited in the reporting
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did the gap between Petro and Hernández close so dramatically between the first and second rounds?
The source doesn't explain the mechanism—it just reports that specialists called it a technical tie by June. But you can infer that voters who backed Gutiérrez or Fajardo had to choose between the two finalists, and they didn't split evenly. Some likely moved to Hernández.
What does "technical tie" actually mean in this context?
It means the margin was small enough that polling error or measurement uncertainty made it genuinely unclear who would win. Petro's 12-point lead from the first round had evaporated.
Why does the source spend so much time on voting logistics?
Because for a reader in another country, the practical details matter. When do polls open? Where do you vote? How long does the count take? These aren't boring—they're the scaffolding that makes an election real.
The source mentions that results wouldn't be official until after "full scrutiny." Was there concern about fraud?
The source doesn't say that explicitly. But the distinction between preliminary count and official results is standard practice—it's about verification, not suspicion. Though in a tight race, that delay matters politically.
What was at stake for Colombia in this election?
The source doesn't elaborate, but you can read between the lines: Petro represented a significant leftward shift, while Hernández was the anti-establishment outsider. The runoff itself signals that neither had overwhelming support.