Early exit polls in Uruguay's presidential election suggest the center-left opposition candidate Yamandu Orsi is ahead of his conservative rival Alvaro Delgado with a second round likely needed.

Orsi had secured 44 percent of the vote, according to an exit poll from Cifra, followed by 27 percent for Delgado for the ruling coalition and 16 percent for young social media savvy conservative Andres Ojeda.

Ojeda has previously pledged to support Delgado to prevent the left from returning to power if eventually knocked out.

Ahead of the election, pollsters had indicated no presidential candidate would likely get more than 50 percent of the vote, meaning a second round would be held on November 24 between Sunday's top two finishers.