Voters to elect either first female president or youngest president in Ecuador

Oct. 15 (UPI) -- The polls are open in Ecuador's history-making presidential election that will see either the country's first female president elected or its youngest president ever.

The election pits former National Secretary of Public Administration Luisa González against businessman and former national assembly member Daniel Naboa.

González is a member of the Citizen Revolution Movement, a progressive political movement founded by former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa. Naboa, 35, is a member of National Democratic Action, a conservative political party.

The winner of the election will succeed current president Guillermo Lasso. They will serve the remaining 15 months of the 2021-2025 presidential term. Lasso announced his voluntary resignation through a constitutional provision that also dissolved the country's national assembly.

The election comes amid ongoing violence in Ecuador by criminal organizations. The government has increased the security presence around voting locations, deploying 53,000 police officers and 43,000 Armed Forces members.