The United Nations Security Council held its first indicative vote using colored ballots on Friday, October 16, 2026, as part of the process to select the next Secretary-General to succeed António Guterres. The vote revealed varying levels of support among the seven candidates, utilizing “encourage,” “discourage,” and “no opinion” votes. Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica received 9 “encourage” votes, including 3 from the five permanent members (P5), while Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett of Guyana received 8 “encourage” votes, also with 3 from the P5. Macky Sall received only 5 “encourage” votes, with a significant 10 “discourage” votes, including 3 from the P5. The ballots used were red for the five permanent members – the United Kingdom, China, France, Russia and the United States – and white for the ten elected members, allowing for identification of the positions of the veto-wielding powers. These initial results provide a snapshot of the complex dynamics at play in the selection process.