How many votes were recovered in the polls four years ago in the presidential runoff?

In the wake of the 2026 presidential runoff election, discussions have resurfaced regarding the discrepancies between preliminary vote counts and official tallies, echoing a significant event from four years prior during the congressional elections of 2022. During that time, approximately half a million votes initially unaccounted for in the precount were later incorporated into the official results after thorough scrutiny of electoral records. This process highlights the critical role of electoral oversight and the importance of witnesses present at each voting table. The recount mechanism serves as the formal procedure through which electoral authorities verify results on a booth-by-booth basis. Unlike the precount, which provides a quick informational snapshot of the results, the recount allows for corrections of data entry errors, inconsistencies in forms, and claims submitted by political campaigns, parties, and electoral observers. This ensures accuracy and transparency in the counting process, particularly in national elections involving millions of voters. During the 2022 congressional elections, leaders of the Historical Pact noted that around half a million votes were recovered during the review of electoral acts. These votes had not been properly accounted for in the initial count and were subsequently included in the official consolidation of results. The incident became one of the most cited examples emphasizing the significance of electoral monitoring and the role of witnesses at each voting table. It also demonstrated that preliminary results can differ significantly from the final figures, especially in large-scale elections. As the 2026 presidential runoff unfolds, experts in electoral matters stress that the recount remains a crucial stage for ensuring that every vote cast by citizens is accurately counted and transparently recorded. Although variations between the precount and the recount rarely alter the overall outcome of an election, they can influence the definitive numbers for each candidate's tally. Consequently, political campaigns maintain close watch over this process, deploying legal teams and observers to accompany the review of electoral records. Ahead of the upcoming runoff, the Historical Pact led by Senator Iván Cepeda has registered more than 129,000 electoral witnesses who will be stationed at polling stations nationwide. The movement supporting Abelardo de la Espriella, known as Defensores de la Patria, has registered 97,000 such witnesses. In total, there will be more than 227,000 witnesses at national polling stations and over 8,000 at overseas consulates where more than 1.4 million Colombians are eligible to vote starting this holiday week. The registration of these witnesses is particularly important amid the ongoing tension between the National Registry Office and President Petro, who raised concerns about potential electoral fraud following the first round. The National Registry Office denied these allegations, supported by the recount, which showed a 99.94% match with the precount and complaints about the process not exceeding 0.7% of all installed tables nationwide. The president of the National Electoral Council, Magistrate Cristian Quiroz, urged presidential campaign teams to complete their witness registration by tomorrow at 5 PM, assuring them that all campaigns would cover 100% of all tables across the country. President Petro criticized the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for issues related to witnesses abroad, stating during last night’s cabinet meeting that he was allowing some countries to prevent all parties from having representatives at the polls. He accused the Minister of Foreign Affairs of failing to ensure transparency in overseas elections, where he believes the far-right tends to gain support. This criticism comes in light of the first round, where Abelardo de la Espriella defeated Iván Cepeda outside the country. De la Espriella secured 53% of the votes compared to Cepeda's 29%, although less than 600,000 people voted, representing a participation rate of 40%, much lower than the national average. The United States was the country where De la Espriella gained his advantage, securing 155,000 votes and achieving 73% of the total votes, doubling the vote count of Federico Gutiérrez in 2022, the right-wing candidate in those elections. An investigation by La Silla Vacía revealed that the National Electoral Council has spent nearly 438 billion pesos, almost half its budget, on the accreditation and training of electoral witnesses, a task that has been free in several previous elections. This responsibility was entrusted to LinkTic Sas, a company that had not previously experienced a similar level of public contracts. While other companies raised concerns about possible favoritism, the National Electoral Council ignored these warnings. The investigation found evidence of waste and preferential treatment in hundreds of contracts, reports, certificates, and business chamber documents reviewed by La Silla Vacía.