© Paul Gerlach The battle between the covers of the Bolivian and Dutch ladies was already well on its way before Christmas. The two nominees were neck and neck and the fight literally continued until the last seconds of the competition. The voting officially closed on Sunday night at midnight, at which point Van den Berg was very slightly ahead. But … it was not midnight in Bolivia yet. In those late-night hours in the Netherlands, Soriano Candia’s vote count managed to pass her rival’s.
The editorial office had not counted on that time difference nor on such a fierce battle. That is the reason why it was decided to award the prize to both covers. The total number of votes for the ten selected thesis covers was a hefty 2223 votes (at midnight on Sunday)
. Two thirds of these were meant for the winning covers. Both were able to mobilise many followers.
The analysis of the votes also made that clear: the hotspots were in the Bolivian cities of La Paz/Santa Cruz and in Amsterdam.