Honduras faces election deadlock as vote count freezes at 57% in technical tie

Honduras has yet to determine its next president 48 hours after the national election.

With 57.03% of ballots processed, the National Electoral Council (CNE) halted the Preliminary Electoral Results Transmission system (known locally as TREP) after confirming a technical tie between Nasry Asfura, from the conservative National Party, and Salvador Nasralla, candidate of the Liberal Party.

The vote difference: just 515 ballots.

The CNE"s official website collapsed early Monday and has not been updated since, heightening public concern about the integrity and pace of the process.

CNE president Ana Paola Hall urged calm on X (formerly Twitter), explaining that the institution must still review contingency ballots and later begin a special audit to complete the official count.

The CNE legally has up to 30 days to proclaim final results, although political pressure continues to mount.

Gracias al pueblo hondureño por acudir a las urnas y ayudarnos a cuidar el proceso electoral.

Hoy, un día después de las Elecciones despertamos en un país con paz, sin actos de violencia y eso es un triunfo para todos los que amamos Honduras.

Quiero informarles que el TREP ha⬦  Ana Paola Hall (@APHall_CNE) December 1, 2025

Both candidates have already declared themselves winners.

Nasralla says he is the "projected winner," arguing that outstanding ballots from departments such as Cortéswhere he claims to have strong supportwill shift the balance.

Asfura, meanwhile, demanded transparency from the CNE, calling on authorities to avoid leaving "a country waiting in darkness and uncertainty.

The tension has grown alongside the extremely narrow margin.

With just over 55% of the vote processed, Asfura leads by fewer than 5,000 ballots.

Technical failures on the CNE website have intensified public scepticism.

Beyond the electoral process, the outcome has major implications for economic stability, foreign relations and the future of Honduras" energy strategy.

International attention heightened after former U.S. president Donald Trump openly endorsed Asfura, calling him an ally "against narcocommunists and Maduro" and promising significant U.S. support if elected.

Trump even pledged to pardon former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández, who is serving a drug-trafficking sentence in the United States.

On the other side, Rixi Moncada, candidate of the left-wing Libre Party, rejected the preliminary results and urged supporters to "stay mobilised.

She warned that her party would not recognise any results short of a full count.

Former president Manuel Zelaya backed her stance, while sitting president Xiomara Castro echoed the call on social media for full transparency.

At the core of the dispute lies not only political power but also competing visions for the nation"s energy model.

• Moncada proposes a stronger state role, including increased control of the National Electric Power Company (ENEE), prioritising public-sector leadership.

• Asfura and Nasralla support varying degrees of market liberalisation, encouraging private investment, publicprivate partnerships (PPPs) and expanded space for renewable energy projects, including solar PV, wind power, distributed generation and energy storage.

According to an analysis by Energía Estratégica, the election represents a turning point for the country"s regulatory framework, the structure of power purchase agreements (PPAs), and incentives for renewable energy deployment.

Participation surpassed 2.8 million voters, with international observers on the ground.

Allegations regarding biometric verification issues and irregularities add further pressure.

The U.S.

Department of State called for a transparent process, while the Organisation of American States (OAS) continues monitoring.

As the institutional window narrows, uncertainty deepens.

In a country marked by ideological polarisation, external interests and major challenges in security, employment and energy transition, this election will determine far more than the next presidentit will define the long-term model that will govern Honduras.

State Department, OAS