section_path: Conduct
section_name: Conduct
paragraph_text: Conduct
  
  On election day, the government deployed armored vehicles and soldiers carrying machine guns to secure polling booths while the country's land borders were closed.
  
  Noboa's behavior during the official campaign period was criticized by the suspended Vice President and the opposition. He faced accusations of misusing public funds, engaging in lawfare against his detractors and exploiting public resources. There had been criticism regarding his social media advertising, which allegedly utilized bots and fake accounts.
  
  A legal dispute has been ongoing since Noboa's refusal to relinquish his office during the official electoral period, which was intended for his vice president, Verónica Abad Rojas according to campaign law. Noboa told Congress stating, "Today, I will be President of Ecuador until 5 p.m. and will resume office at 11:59 p.m." while he attended political rallies. On other occasions, he had his secretary inform Congress that she was temporarily assuming the presidency. Abad had previously been suspended in November 2024 by the labor ministry for 150 days. Her suspension was lifted by a judge in December 2024, ordering the labor ministry to give her an apology for the suspension. On 30 March 2025, Noboa caused controversy for ignoring the Constitutional Court and appointing Cynthia Gellibert by decree as Vice President, suspending Abad once again, who was disenfranchised for two years by the TCE in a 3–2 decision issued in a gender-based political violence counterclaim filed by Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld following Abad's initial lawsuit against Noboa and others for alleged harassment. Analysts said Noboa was focused on institutional stability and a leadership aligned with his vision of government, which reinforced his political strategy in the wake of this election.
  
  Noboa declared a state of emergency in seven of Ecuador's provinces leading up to the runoff election. According to European Union observers, the candidates were able to campaign without restrictions, and the freedoms of assembly and movement were guaranteed, despite the State of Exception in force. Freedoms of expression and the press were also respected. The observers noted, however, President Noboa's failure to apply to the Assembly for a 'licence' at the start of the campaign contributed to blurring the boundaries between the role of candidate and the role of president and that the fraud narrative by González despite the election being transparent was problematic.