(Reuters) -Almost 8 million Bolivians are set to vote on August 17 for a new president, vice president and all legislative seats – 26 senators and 130 deputies.

Ex-President Evo Morales, Bolivia’s dominant political figure of recent decades, is barred from running and has called on the electorate to boycott the race, but polls suggest his influence is waning.

Top of mind for voters is the fragile economy. Natural gas exports have plummeted, inflation is at a 40-year high, and fuel is scarce.

If no candidate wins the August vote outright the election heads to a runoff, scheduled for October 19.

The new president takes office on November 8.

Here’s a guide to the election:

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

Bolivia’s incumbent Movement for Socialism, or MAS, which has governed almost continuously since

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