Elections in El Salvador

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The government of El Salvador is a presidential representative democratic republic.

El Salvador elects its head of state – the President of El Salvador – directly through a fixed-date general election whose winner is decided by absolute majority. If an absolute majority (50% + 1) is not achieved by any candidate in the first round of a presidential election, then a run-off election is conducted 30 days later between the two candidates who obtained the most votes in the first round. The presidential period is five years. Consecutive re-election is not permitted, though previously elected presidents may run for a second, non-consecutive term.

Salvadorans also elect a single-chamber, unicameral national legislature – the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador – composed of 84 members (deputies). They are elected by open-list proportional representation for three-year terms, with the possibility of immediate re-election. All 84 seats in the Legislative Assembly are elected on the basis of 14 multi-member constituencies (corresponding to El Salvador's 14 departments). They range from 3-16 seats each according to department population size.

Political culture[edit]

El Salvador has a multi-party system. Two political parties, the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) and the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) have tended to dominate elections. ARENA candidates won four consecutive presidential elections until the election of Mauricio Funes of the FMLN in March 2009.

Geographically, the departments of the Central region, especially the capital and the coastal regions, known as departamentos rojos, or red departments, are relatively leftist, and have traditionally supported the FMLN. The departamentos azules, or blue departments in the east, western and highland regions are relatively conservative, have traditionally supported ARENA, but since the 2019 presidential election, has transitioned to supporting Nuevas Ideas.

In February 2021, El Salvador's legislative election was an important breakthrough. The new party, founded by President Nayib Bukele, Nuevas Ideas, won around two-thirds of votes with its allies (GANA-New Ideas). His party won supermajority 56 seats in the 84-seat parliament. Bukele became the country’s most powerful leader in three decades.[1]

Schedule[edit]

Election[edit]

Position 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030
Type None Presidential (February)
Legislative Assembly (February)
Municipalities (March)
PARLACEN (March)
None Legislative Assembly
Municipalities
PARLACEN
None Presidential Legislative Assembly
Municipalities
PARLACEN
President and
Vice President
None President and Vice President None President and Vice President None
Legislative Assembly None All 60 seats None All 60 seats None All 60 seats
Municipalities None All 44 seats None All 44 seats None All 44 seats
PARLACEN None All 20 seats None All 20 seats None All 20 seats

List of elections[edit]

Year President Legislative Assembly
1842 Presidential 1842
1844 Presidential 1844
1846 Presidential 1846
1848 Presidential 1848
1850 Presidential 1850
1852 Presidential 1852
1854 Presidential 1854
1856 Presidential 1856
1858 Presidential 1858
1864 Presidential 1864
1869 Presidential 1869
1872 Presidential 1872
1876 Presidential January 1876
Presidential June 1876
1887 Presidential 1887
1891 Presidential 1891
1895 Presidential 1895
1899 Presidential 1899
1903 Presidential 1903
1907 Presidential 1907
1911 Presidential 1911
1915 Presidential 1915
1919 Presidential 1919
1923 Presidential 1923
1927 Presidential 1927
1928 Legislative Assembly 1928
1931 Presidential 1931
1932 Legislative Assembly 1932
1935 Presidential 1935
1936 Legislative Assembly 1936
1939 Presidential 1939 Legislative Assembly 1939
1944 Presidential 1944 Legislative Assembly 1944
1945 Presidential 1945
1950 Presidential 1950 Legislative Assembly 1950
1952 Legislative Assembly 1952
1954 Legislative Assembly 1954
1956 Presidential 1956 Legislative Assembly 1956
1958 Legislative Assembly 1958
1960 Legislative Assembly 1960
1961 Legislative Assembly 1961
1962 Presidential 1962
1964 Legislative Assembly 1964
1966 Legislative Assembly 1966
1967 Presidential 1967
1968 Legislative Assembly 1968
1970 Legislative Assembly 1970
1972 Presidential 1972 Legislative Assembly 1972
1974 Legislative Assembly 1974
1976 Legislative Assembly 1976
1977 Presidential 1977
1978 Legislative Assembly 1978
1982 Presidential 1982 Legislative Assembly 1982
1984 Presidential 1984
1985 Legislative Assembly 1985
1988 Legislative Assembly 1988
1989 Presidential 1989
1991 Legislative Assembly 1991
1994 Presidential 1994 Legislative Assembly 1994
1997 Legislative Assembly 1997
1999 Presidential 1999
2000 Legislative Assembly 2000
2003 Legislative Assembly 2003
2004 Presidential 2004
2006 Legislative Assembly 2006
2009 Presidential 2009 Legislative Assembly 2009
2012 Legislative Assembly 2012
2014 Presidential 2014
2015 Legislative Assembly 2015
2018 Legislative Assembly 2018
2019 Presidential 2019
2021 Legislative Assembly 2021
2024 Presidential 2024 Legislative Assembly 2024
2027 Legislative Assembly 2027
2029 Presidential 2029
2030 Legislative Assembly 2030

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "El Salvador: Bukele has become the country's most powerful leader in three decades after his party won a supermajority". Credendo.