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El Salvador

Franchise & Registration

  • Franchise Age: 18
  • Compulsory Vote: Not compulsory
  • Eligibility Exception: loss of rights of citizenship during the five years preceding the elections, handling or administration of public funds (until their accounts have been audited), government contractors, certain relatives of the President of the Republic, delinquent debtors to the public or municipal treasuries, members of the armed forces and the clergy
  • Registration Type: Automatic registration
  • Registration Basis: Requirement short of residence (e.g. work, etc)

Election Management & Enforcement

  • Nameof EMB: Supreme Electoral Tribunal
  • Independent EMB: Yes
  • EMBNominations: 5 members selected by Parliament based on proposal of political parties and Supreme Court of Justice. Combined membership.
  • EMBTenure: 5 years.
  • Who Runs Election: Other
  • Nameof Elect Enforcement Body: Supreme Electoral Tribunal

Candidacy & Campaign Rules

  • Restrictto Candidacy: Qualified electors, age: 25 years, Salvadoran citizenship by birth, well-known integrity and education, ineligibilities: loss of rights of citizenship during the five years preceding the elections, handling or administration of public funds (until their accounts have been audited), government contractors, certain relatives of the President of the Republic, delinquent debtors to the public or municipal treasuries, members of the armed forces and the clergy.
  • Opinion Polls Embargo: Embargo for longer

Electoral System & Organisation

  • Elect System Main Election: Majority
  • Main Election Type: Presidential
  • Main Election Cycle: 3
  • Numb Round Main Election: Two
  • Referenda_Law: Constitution: “Constitución Política de la República de El Salvador”, art. 73 & 89
  • Referenda_Binding: Always Binding
  • Voting Machine: None
  • Vote IDRequired: ID check compulsory
  • Polling Card: Polling card sent but not compulsory
  • National Holiday Elect Day: Never
  • Dayof Election: Sunday
  • Districting Flexibility: The country is divided in electoral constituencies corresponding to the existing administrative divisions.

Polling Station

  • Average Voterby Polling Station: 521
  • Normal Opening Time Poll Station: 700
  • Normal Closing Time Poll Station: 1700
  • Polling Station Numbers: 9422
  • Listof Polling Station Buildings: Electoral Law: NOT in private buildings, without a special CEC authorization; in buildings used by the public administration, except for educational, cultural and healthcare institutions; or in buildings used or owned, partially or totally, by a political
  • Accessibility Requirement: Party to UNCRPD.
  • Ballot Box Transparency: Fully opaque
  • Box Feeding System: Voter
  • Vote Receipt: No receipt
  • Tellersor Party Employees: As for the organization of the elections, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal—the highest administrative and judicial electoral authority—is in charge of managing all of its phases. As in 2018, the novelty for this election is that the members of the Temporary Electoral Organisms—in charge of receiving and processing the votes—are citizens without party affiliation, contrary to what happened before, although they were proposed by the political parties. With little time to go before the election, the organization and logistics processes are ready to receive millions of votes on Sunday.
  • Count Locallyor Centrally: locally
  • Manualor Automatic Count: manual

Ballot Paper

  • Ballot Type: Paper
  • Singleor Multi Paper Ballot: Single
  • Ballot Paper Type Description: Single Ballot Paper with Logos
  • Ballot Paper Type Photo Upload: YES
  • Ballot Logos: Freely Allowed
  • Orderof Candidatesor Parties: alphabetical

Remote Voting

  • Temporal Remote Voting: Automatic right
  • Geographical Remote Voting: Automatic right
  • Personal Remote Voting: No
  • Time Temporal Remote: 2
  • Remote Voting List: by mail
  • Mobile Polling Stations: No

Special Needs

  • Provision First Time Voters: A vota-bus financed by the International Republican Institute (IRI) toured the country for about five weeks prior to the elections providing comprehensive voter information.
  • Provision Illiterate Voters: the TSE hired persons with disabilities and sign­language interpreters to guide voters with disabilities on how to exercise their right to vote, and provided Braille ballots during the elections.
  • Provision Blind Voters: the TSE hired persons with disabilities and sign­language interpreters to guide voters with disabilities on how to exercise their right to vote, and provided Braille ballots during the elections.
  • Provision Deaf Voters: the TSE hired persons with disabilities and sign­language interpreters to guide voters with disabilities on how to exercise their right to vote, and provided Braille ballots during the elections.
  • Provision Motor Handicap Voters: the TSE hired persons with disabilities and sign­language interpreters to guide voters with disabilities on how to exercise their right to vote, and provided Braille ballots during the elections.

Targeted Initiatives

  • Transparency Initiative: Each ballot paper held up for public scrutiny, with name of party/candidate called out loud

Inclusivity Provisions