Órgano Electoral Plurinacional

Overview of the Plurinational Electoral Body of Bolivia

Introduction to the Electoral Body

• The Plurinational Electoral Body is one of four public power organs in Bolivia, holding equal constitutional hierarchy with legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

Functions and Responsibilities

• Tasked with organizing, administering, and executing electoral processes while proclaiming results; it also manages civil registration and electoral rolls.

• Ensures effective voting to uphold citizens' rights to participate freely in political power formation, either directly or through representatives.

Legal Framework

• Governed by the Law of the Plurinational Electoral Body which outlines its jurisdiction, competencies, obligations, organization, functioning services, and responsibilities aimed at ensuring intercultural democracy in Bolivia.

Competencies of the Electoral Body

• Responsible for overseeing elections including referendums and mandates revocation; supervises prior consultation processes and supports civil society organizations requesting technical services.

• Regulates internal elections within political groups and oversees candidacies as well as financial regulations regarding political advertising.

Structure of the Plurinational Electoral Body

Composition

• The body consists of a Supreme Electoral Tribunal along with departmental electoral tribunals and judges responsible for various electoral functions as defined by national law.

Supreme Electoral Tribunal Details

• Composed of seven members serving six-year terms without re-election; at least two must be from indigenous or peasant backgrounds. Members are elected by a two-thirds vote from the Legislative Assembly.

Key Functions During Elections

Election Management

• The Supreme Electoral Tribunal calls for general elections and approves electoral calendars; it disseminates election announcements via foreign ministries where necessary.

Financial Oversight

• Monitors political organizations' expenditures on campaign propaganda during election periods; requires initial financial statements from these organizations before concluding their reports post-elections.

Voter Registration Process

Electoral Process Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities of the Electoral Authority

• The electoral authority is tasked with overseeing the withdrawal period and will issue certificates of voting impediment approximately 30 days after the election day, ensuring compliance with parity and alternation criteria in candidate lists.

• Monitoring activities during the reading period is crucial to ensure that actions align with established regulations, including managing public strengthening propaganda as part of mixed financing for political organizations and alliances.

• Following the enactment of Law 1.096 on political organizations, the electoral authority must allocate time among new political entities based on equality and proportionality principles outlined in this law.

• The registration of national media outlets is essential for monitoring public opinion studies; the electoral authority defines minimum technical criteria for these studies and registers interested companies and media.

• Designating judges, notaries, and electoral jurors falls under departmental electoral tribunals' responsibilities; they ensure rights are upheld during elections and enforce penalties for electoral violations as per established laws.

Election Day Operations

• Notaries provide logistical support during elections, certifying electoral acts while jurors manage polling stations throughout the election process, acting as primary authorities at their respective tables through a random selection from eligible voters.

Current Context of Electoral Credibility

• The announcement of results is solely conducted by the full chamber of departmental electoral tribunals across nine departments; recent elections (2019 & 2020) have raised concerns about credibility due to alleged fraud incidents.