Elections in Colombia

Template:Short description Template:Sidebar with collapsible lists Elections in Colombia are regulated and controlled by the National Electoral Council (CNE) which also provides information on elections and election results.

At the national level, the President of Colombia is elected as the head of state and the bicameral Congress of Colombia as the legislature every four years. The Congress of Colombia is composed of 162 members of the Chamber of Representatives and 102 members of the Senate. Both are elected by proportional representation.

Colombia historically had a two-party system, dominated by the Colombian Liberal Party and Colombian Conservative Party, in which it could be difficult for third parties to find success. Since the implementation of the 1991 constitution, there has been a proliferation of third parties, which have won most presidential elections in the 21st century.

Colombia's electoral system has a pervasive corruption issue, with electoral fraud, bribery, and other scandals occurring at both the municipal and national levels.

Electoral systemEdit

PresidentialEdit

Colombian presidents are elected for four-year terms using a two-round system; if no candidate receives a majority of the vote in the first round, a runoff is held between the top two candidates.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The vice president is elected on the same ticket as the president. Presidents are limited to a single four-year term, and Article 191 of the constitution requires candidates to be Colombian by birth and at least thirty years old. In line with the constitution, Colombian citizens by birth or by naturalization, aged eighteen or older have the right to vote. Several scenarios can cause the loss of the right to vote, as outlined in the constitution. Citizens in detention centers can vote from the establishments determined by the National Civil Registry. The civil registry inscription is not automatic, and citizens must go to the regional office of the registry to register.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Legislative Act No. 2 of 2015 established that the runner-up in the presidential elections is given a seat in the Senate and their vice president candidate becomes a member of the Chamber of Representatives.<ref name="ActoLegislativo02/2015">Template:Cite news</ref>

In order to be accepted as a candidate, applicants must either have the backing of a recognized political party in order to run as their official candidate, or to collect a minimum number of signatures in order to run as an independent candidate.Template:Citation needed