In the final stretch of Colombia's presidential campaign, undecided voters are in high demand

Millions of Colombians remain undecided ahead of the May 31 presidential election, including voters without clear affiliations, people disillusioned with democracy, blank-ballot preferences, young people uninterested in politics, and potential abstainers. Campaign estimates and poll microdata analysis indicate undecideds could represent roughly 28% of voters. The leading candidates are targeting these voters while trying to avoid losing loyal supporters. Analysts expect undecided voters to be decisive for determining who joins leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda in the second round. The contest for that spot is framed as a battle among right and far-right candidates, including Paloma Valencia and Abelardo de la Espriella. Polling trends and runoff modeling are treated as key to shaping undecided choices.

"Just days remain until the first round of Colombia's presidential election on May 31, and millions of citizens still haven't decided which of the 12 candidates to vote for. This heterogeneous group of undecided voters includes people with no clear political affiliation, those disillusioned with democracy, people who prefer to cast a blank ballot, young people with no interest in politics, as well as potential abstainers. Various campaigns estimate that, in this final stretch, these undecideds could represent a third of the total electorate."

"An analysis by independent digital news outlet La Silla Vacia (The Empty Chair) using microdata from polls suggests that the undecided account for around 28% of Colombian voters. Therefore, the five leading candidates in the polls have developed strategies to attract them while being careful not to lose their base of loyal supporters. Several political analysts consulted by EL PAIS agree that undecided voters will play a decisive role in determining who will join leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda in the second round."

"The battle for this spot is being waged by the right and the far-right, with Senator Paloma Valencia and criminal lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella in the mix. Political strategist Diego Correales asserts that the latest polls, released Saturday and showing a surge in support for De la Espriella, will be key in shaping the undecided voters, especially those torn between two similar options. Correales explains how, four years ago, the results of those polls tipped the scales against the mayor of Medellin, Federico Gutierrez, and in favor of the former mayor of Bucaramanga, Rodolfo Hernandez."

"This time around, a key question in the electoral contest will be who is most likely to defeat Cepeda a question that all the polling firms are asking when modeling runoff scenarios. Augusto Reyes, director of the consulting firm Poder y Poder (Power and Power),"

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