WorldJune 1, 2026

Colombia’s Election: First Round to a June Runoff

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Key Vocabulary

runoff/ˈrʌnɒf/

a second election between the top two finishers

"The election goes to a runoff."

candidate/ˈkændɪˌdeɪt/

a person who wants to be elected

"She is a candidate for president."

vote/voʊt/

to choose by casting a ballot

"People vote at polling stations."

Listening

Colombia’s Election: First Round to a June Runoff

Colombia held the first round of its presidential election on May 31, 2026. More than 41 million Colombians were eligible to vote, and people cast ballots across the country. No candidate won more than 50 percent of the votes in this round, so a second round is needed.

Abelardo de la Espriella and Iván Cepeda will face each other in a runoff on June 21, 2026. De la Espriella is a right‑wing lawyer and political outsider. Iván Cepeda is a left‑wing senator who is allied with outgoing President Gustavo Petro. The runoff will decide the next president for the 2026–2030 term.

101 words

Quiz

1. When was the first round held?

2. Who will face each other in the runoff?

3. When is the runoff scheduled?

Reading Practice

Read the article from the Listening section aloud. Your AI teacher will give you pronunciation feedback.

Discussion

Do you follow elections in other countries? Why or why not?

Have you ever voted in an important election? What did you feel?

What do you think matters most when you choose a leader?