In September 2021, the Supreme Court of Justice ruled that the incumbent president could run for immediate re-election, overturning a 2014 ruling that reaffirmed that re-election was prohibited and despite the country's constitution prohibiting immediate re-election. In September 2022, Bukele officially announced that he was running for re-election. In June 2023, Bukele officially registered as a presidential candidate for Nuevas Ideas, and the following month, Nuevas Ideas formally confirmed Bukele as its presidential candidate. Various lawyers, journalists, and opposition politicians criticized Bukele's re-election bid as authoritarian and unconstitutional, while most Salvadorans—both inside and outside the country—remain highly supportive of his campaign. In October 2022, the Legislative Assembly passed a law which would allow Salvadoran expatriates to vote in the election. Several opposition politicians criticized the decision, claiming that it would lead to electoral fraud. In December 2022, Bukele suggested reducing the number of municipalities. In June 2023, he officially presented his proposals to the Legislative Assembly to reduce the number of municipalities from 262 to 44 and the number of seats in the Legislative Assembly from 84 to 60; both proposals were approved by the Legislative Assembly that same month. The reductions were criticized by lawyers, economists, and opposition politicians as gerrymandering, undemocratic, and an attempt to consolidate the government's power.
On election day, Bukele declared himself the winner in the presidential election, declared Nuevas Ideas the winner in the legislative election, and various foreign media outlets called the election for Bukele. These declarations came before the TSE made an official statement regarding the final results as vote counting for both the presidential and legislative elections was delayed due to technical problems. On 9 February 2024, the TSE completed counting votes for the presidential election and officially declared Bukele the winner, having accumulated 84.65 percent of the popular vote in a landslide victory. On 18 February, the TSE completed counting votes for the legislative election; Nuevas Ideas won 54 of the Legislative Assembly's 60 seats. The political opposition issued two petitions the TSE to nullify the results of the legislative election citing irregularities and allegations of fraud, but the TSE dismissed both petitions. Nuevas Ideas won 28 municipalities, its allies won a further 15 municipalities, and the opposition won 1 municipality. The elected deputies, mayors, and municipal councils are scheduled to assume office on 1 May, while Bukele and Ulloa are scheduled to assume office on 1 June.
Following a spike in murders in March 2022, Bukele's government began a gang crackdown, referred to as a state of exception and a war against gangs, which had resulted in the reported arrests of over 75,163 alleged gang members by 11 January 2024[25] and 144 to 152 deaths in custody by 10 May 2023.[26] The crackdown, which has since been extended several times, has been accused of engaging in arbitrary arrests, torture, and human rights abuses by organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.[27][28] On 3 January 2023, Minister of Defense René Merino Monroy announced that 496 homicides were registered in 2022, a decrease from 1,147 homicides in 2021; Merino attributed the decrease to the gang crackdown.[29] Politicians from ARENA, the FMLN, and Nuestro Tiempo described the crackdown as a political and electoral strategy to support the government and intimidate the opposition.[30]
Despite controversies and negative press coverage, Bukele remains extremely popular with approval ratings consistently hovering between 80 and 90percent.[10][31][32] He is considered to be one of the most popular presidents in El Salvador's history,[33] as well as one of the most popular incumbent Latin American heads of state.[34][35]
On 3 September 2021, the Supreme Court of Justice ruled that the president of El Salvador is eligible to run for re-election consecutively, discarding a 2014 ruling that required presidents to wait ten years before running for re-election. The 2021 court ruling made Bukele eligible to run for president in 2024.[36] Despite protests from ARENA and the FMLN, the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE) accepted the Supreme Court's ruling.[37] Chargé d'Affaires Jean Elizabeth Manes compared the path the Salvadoran government was taking to that of Venezuela under Hugo Chávez.[38] On 1 March 2023, four of the five members of the Supreme Court's Constitutional Chamber confirmed that presidential re-election is allowed.[39]
"Practically all developed countries have re-election ... prohibitions on re-election only exist in the Third World, coincidentally." ("Prácticamente todos los países desarrollados tienen reelección ... las prohibiciones de reelección solo existen en el tercer mundo, coincidentalmente.")
During a speech on the country's 201st anniversary of independence from Spain on 15 September 2022, Bukele officially announced his re-election campaign[41] despite having previously voiced his opposition to immediate re-election both before and during his presidency.[42] Bukele justified his re-election bid by arguing that most developed countries allow re-election; he read a list of 39 countries considered to be developed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and stated that all the countries on the list except for South Korea allowed re-election.[43] He also claimed that restrictions on re-election only exists in Third World countries.[44] According to Bukele, a developed country criticizing his announcement would be hypocritical.[43] On 25 June 2023, Bukele officially registered his pre-candidacy for the presidency with Nuevas Ideas,[45] and on 9 July, Nuevas Ideas officially elected Bukele as its presidential candidate.[46]
If Bukele wins re-election, he would be the first person since Brigadier General Maximiliano Hernández Martínez (in office 1931–1934 and 1935–1944) to be re-elected and serve multiple terms as president.[47][48] Additionally, he was the first president since Antonio Saca (served 2004–2009) to seek re-election.[e][50] Bukele has been compared to Juan Orlando Hernández in Honduras and Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua, who used the Supreme Court and constitutional reforms, respectively, in their own countries to allow themselves to run for re-election.[51][52][53] According to a poll conducted by the Francisco Gavidia University (UFG) in October 2022, 76 percent of respondents believed that if Bukele were re-elected in 2024, he would run for a third term in the 2029 presidential election.[54] Bukele has implicitly denied that he would run for a third term, stating that he would "not seek ... indefinite re-election" ("no busca ... reelección indefinida"), adding that he was "only authorized to run for a second term" ("solo estoy autorizado para correr por un segundo período").[55]
Criticism and opposition to re-election
Supporters of Bukele's re-election in front of the Legislative Assembly
Bukele's announcement that he was running for re-election was criticized by constitutional lawyers, who said his re-election would be unconstitutional and in violation of at least four articles of El Salvador's constitution.[56][57] Following Bukele's registration as a presidential pre-candidate, Eduardo Escobar, the executive director of the Citizen Action non-governmental organization, stated that "everything is unconstitutional and they are only trying to give a face of legitimacy to everything with these gimmicks" ("todo es inconstitucional y solo están tratando de darle una cara de legitimidad a todo con estos artilugios").[58]Manuel Flores, then a presidential pre-candidate of the FMLN, stated that "the law is the law [and] the law says that there is no re-election" ("la ley es la ley [y] la ley dice que no hay reelección"), adding that the constitution is "clear" ("clara") in prohibiting re-election.[51] Citizen Resistance politician Rubén Zamora stated that the Legislative Assembly had to suspend Bukele's rights as a Salvadoran citizen in accordance with the constitution for registering as a pre-candidate for presidential re-election.[59] Both Zamora and Claudia Ortiz, a deputy from Vamos, argued that immediate re-election is prohibited by articles 75, 88, 131, 152, 154, and 248 of the country's constitution.[60]
Protesters holding a banner reading "No to Re-Election" on 1 May 2023
A protester holding a sign with a quote attributed to Armando Bukele Kattán reading "Re-Election is Unconstitutional" on 15 September 2023.
On 1 May 2023, 36 left-wing organizations—including the FMLN and Nuestro Tiempo—held a protest march in commemoration of International Workers' Day against Bukele's re-election campaign and the gang crackdown.[61] The protesters also demanded an increase of minimum wage from US$365 to US$500, the respect of workers' rights, and the release of innocent people captured during the gang crackdown.[62][63] On 15 September, various organizations and civil movements held another protest march against re-election. The march traveled from the Rosales Hospital to the Plaza Gerardo Barrios.[64] According to Francisco Omar Parada, a spokesman for the Resistance and Popular Rebellion Bloc, the march protested presidential re-election, the reductions of municipalities and seats on the Legislative Assembly, the "destruction" ("destrucción") of democratic institutions, and the "illegal control" ("control ilegal") exerted by the presidency, the judiciary, the office of the attorney general, and other state institutions.[65] The presidential candidates for ARENA, the FMLN, and Nuestro Tiempo participated in the protest, as did various opposition deputies of the Legislative Assembly.[64]
In October and November 2023, a total of ten formal requests were submitted to the TSE calling for the body to not register Bukele's presidential candidacy or void his candidacy after he initiated the registration process. These requests were filed by Nuestro Tiempo, ARENA, and various non-government organizations.[66] On 9 November, the TSE reaffirmed that Bukele's candidacy was legal and dismissed all the petitions to void his candidacy.[67]
Vice PresidentFélix Ulloa, who supports Bukele's re-election bid, had suggested that Bukele should seek a leave of absence or express permission from the Supreme Court six months before the election.[68] In April 2023, Ulloa stated that Bukele was seeking a "second mandate" ("segundo mandato") rather than re-election, adding that while immediate re-election was prohibited by the constitution, a second mandate was not.[69] Some politicians, including Ulloa, also suggested that Bukele should resign six months before the election to be able to legally pursue re-election, but according to constitutional lawyer Enrique Anaya, resignation would remove Bukele's legal immunity and allow him to be prosecuted for alleged corruption and human rights violations,[70] while other constitutional lawyers state that his re-election campaign would be unconstitutional regardless.[71] Ulloa and Nuevas Ideas deputy Christian Guevara stated that both Bukele and Ulloa would resign before 1 December 2023, six months before their second inauguration should they win re-election, and that a successor would be designated as president.[72] On 28 November, Bukele announced he would ask for a leave of absence from the Legislative Assembly on 1 December to relieve him of his duties as president in order to focus on his presidential election campaign.[73] Bukele was granted a leave of absence on 30 November and Claudia Rodríguez de Guevara, his private secretary, was named as presidential designee;[74] she assumed office the following day and her appointment was criticized as unconstitutional by analysts and lawyers.[75][76][77]
Allegations of fraud
On 18 January 2023, the Legislative Assembly passed a resolution to increase the criminal penalty for electoral fraud to 15–20 years in prison, higher than the previous penalty of 4–6 years. Additionally, if the individual was a gang member, the penalty was increased further to 20–30 years imprisonment.[78] On 16 February, the Legislative Assembly passed a law making it illegal to impede the registration process for electoral candidates. According to the updated penal code, impeding a candidate's registration process is legally considered electoral fraud and would result in 6–20 years imprisonment.[79] Lawyers and electoral experts alleged that the updated law would be used against those who opposed Bukele's re-election campaign; Eduardo Escobar and Ruth Eleonora López, the chief of Cristosal's anti-corruption committee, claimed that it was intimidation and a threat.[80]
In addition to the Unique Identity Document [es] (DUI; the primary identity document for Salvadorans), TSE magistrates Julio Olivo [es] and Dora Martínez de Barahona suggested using biometrics, specifically fingerprinting, to ensure election security.[81][82] The Office for the Defense of Human Rights, a Salvadoran governmental agency, was an observer for the 2024 elections.[83] In March 2023, Votante, a voter's initiative created by five Salvadoran civil society organizations, petitioned the TSE to allow the United Nations, the Organization of American States (OAS), and the European Union (EU) to monitor the elections.[84] On 26 March, the TSE began the process of accepting international observers to monitor the election.[85] The TSE expected that almost 5,800 national and international observers would monitor the election. In September 2023, the TSE officially offered the OAS and the EU to monitor the 2024 election process;[86] the OAS accepted the TSE's offer while the EU stated that it would support the electoral process.[87]Isabel Saint Malo, a former vice president of Panama, was the head of the OAS election observation mission.[88] In October 2023, the TSE announced that it had signed an agreement with Mexico's Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education to audit the expatriate electronic voting process[89] and another agreement with CGTS Corp. Inc. to audit both the expatriate electronic voting process and the expatriate electoral registry.[90]
On 18 October 2022, the Legislative Assembly passed the Special Law for the Exercise of Suffrage Abroad, which allowed Salvadorans living outside of the country to vote electronically in the presidential and legislative elections, but not the municipal or PARLACEN elections.[91][92] The TSE announced on 17 November 2022 that it would guarantee the right of Salvadorans abroad to vote in the 2024 election.[93][94] According to the TSE, a total of 685,026 Salvadoran expatriates in 53 countries are eligible to vote in 2024 as of 19 August 2023[update].[95] Under the electoral law, their votes would be counted as part of San Salvador Department.[96] Some opposition figures claimed that the law would lead to voter fraud,[97][98][99] while Castro rejected the notion that fraud would occur in the expatriate voting process.[100]
As per the Law of Political Parties, the TSE did not monitor the political parties' primary elections for irregularities.[101] In June 2023, some members of Nuevas Ideas claimed that there were irregularities present in the party's primary elections. They criticized that the party was presenting single-candidate primaries and promoting Bukele's family members for municipal races.[102] On 1 July, Nuevas Ideas' National Electoral Commission announced that it would open an internal investigation process to guarantee that the party's statutes and regulations were followed and that those who attempted to manipulate the electoral process would be punished and turned over to the country's legal system.[103] On 31 July, Nuevas Ideas suspended the legislative candidacy of Rebeca Santos after videos surfaced allegedly showing Santos' staffers soliciting party members for codes to vote in her favor.[104] On 30 June 2023, Mayra Zetino, the mayor of Sacacoyo and a member of GANA, announced her departure from GANA, claiming that there was a lack of transparency and low confidence in the party's primary election process.[105]Guillermo Gallegos, the vice president of GANA and a deputy of the Legislative Assembly, responded to Zetino's announcement by stating that there were no irregularities within the party.[106]
According to an opinion poll conducted by UFG in May and June 2023, 62.8 percent of Salvadorans believed the elections would be "clean and transparent" ("limpias y transparentes"), 25 percent had doubts about the election's legitimacy, and 9.7 percent believed there would be fraud.[107] A poll conducted by the Central American University in November 2023 found that 45.2 percent of Salvadorans believed that the elections would be "clean" ("limpias") while 31.5 percent believed there would be fraud.[108]
Reduction of municipalities and legislative seats
Initial proposals, support, and criticism
Maps of the country's municipalities before (top) and after (bottom) the reductions
On 30 December 2022, Bukele tweeted that he believed the country's 262 municipalities should be reduced to only 50, claiming that it was "absurd that 21,000 km2 are divided into 262 municipalities" ("absurdo que 21,000 kms2 estén divididos en 262 alcaldías").[f][109] Various economists, lawyers, and politicians argued that the proposed reduction was an attempt to consolidate power through gerrymandering,[110] would grant Nuevas Ideas an electoral advantage,[111] and would lead to data manipulation to favor the government.[112] Eugenio Chicas, a former magistrate of the TSE, denounced the idea, claiming that it was a part of Bukele's "political vision" ("visión política") to consolidate a military dictatorship.[113]
Gallegos expressed his support for Bukele's proposal, adding that he believed the number of seats in the Legislative Assembly should also be reduced.[114] Ulloa supported reducing the number of seats in the Legislative Assembly and suggested decreasing it from 84 to 50 seats.[115] In February 2023, Castro confirmed that Nuevas Ideas was considering reducing the number of deputies in the Legislative Assembly from 84 to 64 and the number of municipalities from 252 to 50.[116]
John Wright, a deputy of Nuestro Tiempo, described the proposal to reduce the number of deputies as "extremely irresponsible" ("extremadamente irresponsable") for occurring within one year of the election.[117] Claudia Ortiz criticized the announcement, stating the proposed reforms could help Nuevas Ideas form a one-party state. She also argued that the time to make electoral reforms had passed and that the changes would be in violation of the electoral code,[116] referring to Article 291-A, which prohibits electoral reforms up to one year before an election.[118] On 15 March 2023, the Legislative Assembly voted to repeal Article 291-A[119] which ARENA deputy René Portillo Cuadra described as unconstitutional.[120] and the Washington Office on Latin America, a U.S. non-governmental organization, described as "the latest backstep in the country".[121]
In February 2023, GANA deputy Numan Salgado claimed that the country's population would support the reductions of deputies and municipalities.[116] According to a poll conducted by the Francisco Gavidia University that month, around 48.5 percent of Salvadorans erroneously believed that El Salvador was already divided into only 50 municipalities.[122] According to a poll conducted by Fundaungo in March 2023, 48.8 percent of Salvadorans supported reducing the number of municipalities, while 44.2 opposed it. Meanwhile, 80.2 percent supported reducing the number of legislative seats, while only 16.4 opposed it.[123] A May 2023 poll conducted by UFG found that 66.4 percent supported the reduction of municipalities while 39.4 percent opposed it.[124] A later poll conducted by Fundaungo in September 2023 found that 66.9 percent of Salvadorans supported the reduction of municipalities while 27.4 percent opposed it.[125]
Approval by the Legislative Assembly
Bukele proposing the reduction of municipalities on 1 June 2023
During a speech celebrating his fourth year in office on 1 June 2023, Bukele formally proposed legislation to reduce the number of municipalities from 262 to 44 and the number of seats in the Legislative Assembly from 84 to 60.[126] Regarding the municipal reduction, he stated that the present municipalities would be transformed into districts, adding that municipal employees would keep their jobs and that communities would still be able to celebrate their local traditions and customs. Bukele argued that the reduction would also reduce the budgetary burden on the municipalities, make a "more equitable" ("más equitativa") distribution of taxation possible, and make electing and auditing mayors easier.[127][128] Regarding the legislative reduction, he stated that the number of seats would return to the number that were present before the signing of the Chapultepec Peace Accords in 1992. He criticized opposition politicians, stating "this Assembly once had 60 deputies, it did not occur to this Government, that those in the corner do not like this announcement because ARENA and the FMLN in that farce they signed added 24 more deputies and it was the only thing that they completed in those 'peace accords'" ("esta Asamblea tenía 60 diputados, no se nos ocurrió en este Gobierno, a esos de la esquina no les gusta este anuncio porque ARENA y el FMLN en esa farsa que firmaron añadieron a 24 diputados más y fue lo único que cumplieron en esos 'acuerdos de paz'").[129]
ARENA stated that the reductions are a "tactic to swing the electoral field in their [Nuevas Ideas'] favor" ("táctica para inclinar la cancha electoral a su favor").[132] Claudia Ortiz stated that the reduction of municipalities was to benefit Nuevas Ideas' mayors who had done a "very bad job" ("trabajo muy malo") since their election in 2021. Marleni Funes, a deputy of the FMLN, claimed that Bukele wants to guarantee his grip on power and that every Salvadoran knows that fewer resources would arrive when the municipalities are reduced.[133]Óscar Ortiz, the secretary-general of the FMLN, described the proposals as "institutional fraud" ("fraude institucional") for occurring during the lead up to the 2024 election.[134]
On 7 June 2023, the Legislative Assembly approved the proposal to reduce the Legislative Assembly from 84 to 60 seats. Anabel Belloso, a deputy of the FMLN, claimed that the purpose of the legislative reduction was to "continue concentrating power", and other opposition figures argued that the reduction would diminish the political participation of smaller parties.[135][136] Contrarily, GANA deputy Romeo Aüerbach denied that the reductions would affect the representation of smaller parties. Claudia Ortiz and ARENA deputy César Reyes claimed that the reduction were to assure and concentrate more power for Nuevas Ideas.[137]
On 13 June 2023, the Legislative Assembly approved the proposal to reduce the number of municipalities from 262 to 44, with the proposal stipulating that the reductions would go into effect on 1 May 2024.[131] López described the process of reducing municipalities as having been conducted in an "arbitrary and whimsical" ("arbitraria y antojadiza") manner, and argued that the reductions would distance the municipal governments from the people they govern.[138] Portillo Cuadra described the reductions as "counterproductive" ("contraproducente") as it would assign mayors to oversee more people in each municipality. Wright claimed that the reductions would concentrate power to fewer people and that municipal representation was becoming "less democratic" ("menos democrático").[139] He claimed that the municipal reductions were electoral objectives rather than a desire to promote development or save money, questioning the lack of studies conducted to determine that the 262 municipalities should be reduced to 44. In response to the opposition's criticism, Castro claimed that the political opposition was becoming desperate because the country was returning to a "fair system" ("sistema justo").[140]
Electoral system
Election procedure
General elections were scheduled to be held in El Salvador five years after the 2019 presidential election and three years after the 2021 legislative election.[18][141] The president, vice president, 60 deputies of the Legislative Assembly, 44 mayors and municipal councils of the country's municipalities (second-level subdivisions), and 20 deputies of the Central American Parliament were elected through a popular vote. The constitution of El Salvador mandated that the election would be "free, direct, equal and secret".[142] On 11 August 2022, the Supreme Electoral Court announced that the elections for the presidency, vice presidency, and the Legislative Assembly were held on Sunday, 4 February 2024, and that the elections for the 44 municipalities and the Central American Parliament were held on Sunday, 3 March 2024; had a second presidential round been necessary, it would have occurred on 3 March.[143] Voting was held from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Standard Time.[144]
In the presidential election, a candidate needs an absolute majority (50%+1) to be declared the winner of the election. Had no candidate received an absolute majority, a second round between the two candidates with the most valid votes would have occurred within thirty days of the first round.[142][145] Deputies of the Legislative Assembly were elected by the D'Hondt method, which was changed in June 2023 from the hare quota largest remainder method used in previous elections.[146] Meanwhile, mayors and municipal council members and deputies of the Central American Parliament are elected by open listproportional representation. The 60 deputies of the Legislative Assembly were elected in 14 constituencies for the country's 14 departments (first-level subdivisions), the 44 mayors and municipal councils were elected in one constituency each, and the 20 deputies of the Central American Parliament were elected from one nationwide constituency.[142][145]
Layout of the presidential election ballot
Presidential and vice presidential candidates must be at least 30 years old, legislative candidates must be at least 25 years old, and municipal candidates must be at least 21 years old. All candidates must be Salvadoran citizens by birth.[147] Per article 38 of the Law of Political Parties, at least 30 percent of a party's total candidates for the legislative, municipal, and PARLACEN elections must be women.[148] In addition to the 60 deputies elected to the Legislative Assembly and the 20 deputies elected to PARLACEN (referred to as proprietary deputies), an additional 60 substitute deputies were elected to the Legislative Assembly and 20 substitute deputies were elected to PARLACEN. Voters in each of the 44 municipalities elected 1 mayor and a varying number of members to the municipal council. Each municipal council consisted of 1 trustee, 4 proprietary aldermen, and 4 substitute alderman, however, two municipalities elected 8 proprietary alderman and two more elected 10 proprietary alderman due to those municipalities' larger size. In total, 624 people were elected to hold public office in the 2024 elections, a decrease from 3,206 in 2021.[2][149]
A total of 1,595 voting centers were available across the country.[150] Voting was not compulsory.[151]Electronic voting for Salvadoran expatriates began at midnight on 6 January 2024.[152] Expatriates were able to vote at 81 voting centers in 60 of the country's embassies and consulates[153] in 30 countries; 42 eligible voters in 22 countries were unable to vote.[154] The designs for all four ballots—presidential, legislative, municipal, and PARLACEN—were finalized on 6 December 2023.[155]
Election financing
The TSE's 2024 election website banner
In December 2022, TSE magistrate Noel Orellana estimated that it would cost between US$25 and 30 million to finance the expatriate vote for the 2024 election,[156] but later revised the estimate to US$120 million.[157] In February 2023, the TSE announced that the expatriate vote would cost US$70.6 million and the national election would cost US$89 million, for a total cost of US$159.7 million for the 2024 election.[158] In March 2023, the TSE reduced its estimate to US$129.3 million and formally requested that amount from the Legislative Assembly.[159] The Legislative Assembly approved the TSE's request on 15 March 2023,[160] making the 2024 election the most expensive election in Salvadoran history.[161]
On 10 June 2023, the TSE announced that it came to an agreement with El Salvador Products and Services Exchange (BOLPROS) regarding procurement procedures for the election.[162] On 20 June, the TSE announced that it had signed an agreement with the National Charity Lottery (LNB) regarding the verification of financial information of political parties. Through the agreement, the TSE was able to contrast the financial information presented by the political parties, with the data handled by the LNB.[163] On 29 June, the TSE announced that it had contracted Indra Solutions to implement electronic voting.[164]
Political parties
Political parties must be registered with the TSE to be able to participate in elections. The following table shows the thirteen political parties which are eligible to participate in the 2024 election.
Additionally, various civil movements attempted to register with the TSE to gain political party status and to run in the 2024 election. Such civil movements included Citizen Power, the Authentic Republican Movement, the Authentic Salvadoran Movement (MAS), We Shall Construct a New El Salvador, the Salvadoran Veteran Party, Somos, and i.[166][167][168][169] Citizen Power announced its primary elections in March 2023, but the TSE disregarded the announcement as invalid as they were not registered to participate in the 2024 election.[170] In mid-April 2023, the party turned in 50,000 signatures to the TSE to be registered as a political party.[171] MAS abandoned its efforts to register in early-April 2023.[172] In late-2022, Paul Monroy, the leader of i, announced the movement abandoned its efforts to register with the TSE.[173]
Registered voters
Salvadoran citizens over the age of 18 living in El Salvador had until 7 August 2023 to register to vote,[174] while those living outside of the country had until 5 November 2023 to register.[175] Salvadorans in the country had until 3 April 2023 to change their address of residency on their Unique Identity Document, while those living abroad had until 5 November 2023.[176] Guillermo Wellman, a magistrate of the TSE, has stated that individuals arrested during the country's gang crackdown would be ineligible to vote.[177] In the legislative election, votes cast from outside of the country were counted towards selecting deputies in the department of San Salvador.[178] There were a total of 6,214,399 registered voters.[179]
Presidency
Registered candidates
Six political parties had their 2024 presidential and vice presidential candidates officially registered by the TSE.
Nuevas Ideas held a majority in the 13th Legislative Assembly; GANA, the PDC, and the PCN supported Nuevas Ideas' government. The opposition consisted of ARENA, the FMLN, Nuestro Tiempo, and Vamos.[193] Within the Central American Parliament, the fifteen deputies from Nuevas Ideas and GANA belong to the Center-Democratic Integration Group, the four deputies from ARENA and the PCN belong to the Integrationist Democratic Unity, and the sole FMLN deputy belongs to the Parliamentary Group of the Left.[194]
In the years following the 2021 legislative election, three deputies and twenty-two mayors from ARENA had left the party and become independents, as had eleven mayors from the FMLN, and one deputy and two mayors from GANA.[195]
Retiring deputies
Eighteen deputies elected to the Legislative Assembly in 2021 did not running for re-election in 2024 due to them choosing to run for another office, being eliminated during their party's primary elections, being suspended by their party prior to the election, or them choosing to not seek public office in 2024.
The TSE mandated that the parties had to announce their primary elections by 5 March 2023.[203] The TSE initially mandated that the parties had hold their primary elections by 5 July 2023,[204] but after the Legislative Assembly voted to reduce the number of municipalities in June 2023, the TSE delayed the deadline to hold primary elections until 20 July 2023.[205] Political parties had until 7 August 2023 to register presidential and legislative coalitions. Parties had until 4 September 2023 to form municipal and PARLACEN coalitions.[206] In total, there are 7 presidential candidates, 7 vice presidential candidates, 313 legislative candidates, 202 municipal candidates, and 80 PARLACEN candidates.[207] According to Citizen Action, only 67,415—or 26.4 percent—of registered political party members voted in the country's primary elections, the lowest percentage since the organization has been keeping track of this statistic since the 2015 primary elections.[208]
The TSE regulated campaigning on Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram,[209] but it did not regulate campaigning outside of the country.[210] The following table lists the electoral registration and campaigning periods as defined by the TSE.
Prior to the beginning of the campaign period, some Nuevas Ideas politicians began to promote their electoral campaigns on Twitter and others purchased online advertising through Google Ads. López criticized the campaigns as illegal by arguing they violated article 172 of the electoral code.[213] Legal experts and opposition politicians also accused Nuevas Ideas of "promoting the figure of Nayib Bukele" ("promover la figura de Nayib Bukele") ahead of the 3 October 2023 campaigning period for presidential candidates, and called on the TSE to take action against the supposed early campaigns being undertaken by Nuevas Ideas.[214] In October 2023, the TSE stated that it was investigating 20 to 25 cases of early campaigns.[215] On 4 February 2024, four days after the beginning of a period of election silence, Bukele called upon voters to vote for him; ARENA criticized Bukele's call to voters, denouncing what the party described as "disrespectful to the Constitution and the law" ("irrespeto a la Constitución y a la ley").[216]
In February 2023, Castro stated that Nuevas Ideas aimed to win 70 seats in the Legislative Assembly and that the party did not intend to join a coalition with any other party.[147][217] Following the reduction of municipalities and legislative seats, Castro stated that Nuevas Ideas expected to win all 44 municipalities and all 60 seats in the Legislative Assembly.[218] Castro's revised projections were criticized by opposition leaders; Claudia Ortiz described the projections as "undemocratic" ("antidemocrática"), Wright claimed that Nuevas Ideas was "consolidating a dictatorship" ("consolidando es una dictadura"), and Belloso stated that the party was seeking to "concentrate power" ("concentrar el poder").[219]
Nuevas Ideas deputies held events in the U.S. to meet Salvadoran expatriates and support Bukele's re-election campaign. Eduardo Escobar claimed the events were illegal according to the constitution's rules about the promotion of candidates.[220] Nuevas Ideas held such events in Houston,[221]Los Angeles,[222]New York City,[223]Uniondale,[224] and Washington, D.C.[225] When Bukele gave a speech to the Legislative Assembly to celebrate his fourth year in office on 1 June 2023, a group of Bukele's supporters were present inside the Legislative Assembly. They held signs with "#Nayib2024" written on them and banners supporting Bukele's re-election. The supporters also cheered for Bukele and the Nuevas Ideas deputies, booed deputies from the opposition, and yelled chants supportive of re-election.[226]
On 25 June 2023, Bukele and Ulloa officially registered their pre-candidacies with Nuevas Ideas for president and vice president, respectively.[45] In a tweet announcing their registrations, Nuevas Ideas stated that "New Ideas are invincible".[53] The party originally scheduled its primary elections for 2 July,[227] but after the reduction of the municipalities was approved, the party delayed its primaries until 9 July.[228] According to Castro, the majority of Nuevas Ideas deputies are seeking re-election.[229] On 9 July, Nuevas Ideas formalized Bukele and Ulloa's presidential and vice presidential campaigns.[230] They ran unopposed and won 44,398 votes.[231] During the primaries, 60 legislative candidates,[200] 44 municipal candidates,[232] and 20 PARLACEN candidates were also confirmed.[233] Nuevas Ideas formed one municipal coalition with GANA for San Miguel Centro and two municipal coalitions with Democratic Change for Sonsonate Oeste and Santa Ana Norte.[234]
Nuevas Ideas began the process to register its 60 legislative candidates and 20 PARLACEN candidates with the TSE on 20 October 2023,[235] meanwhile, Bukele registered his candidacy with the TSE on 26 October, the last possible day to do so.[236] After Bukele initiated the registration process, he addressed a crowd of supporters outside the TSE building who were chanting phrases such as "five more [years] ("cinco más [años]"), "re-election" ("reelección"), and "not one step back" ("ni un paso atrás").[237] The TSE officially Bukele and Ulloa's candidacies on 3 November,[180] the legislative candidates by 21 November, and the PARLACEN candidates by 8 January 2024.[238]
Bukele has called on his supporters to win a three-fourths majority for Nuevas Ideas in the Legislative Assembly in order to allow him to maintain the gang crackdown during his second term.[239] In a video message, Bukele claimed that if Nuevas Ideas lost only one seat, the opposition would "liberate the gang members and use them to rise to power" ("liberar a los pandilleros y ocuparlos para llegar al poder"),[240] although opposition politicians have denied such claims.[241][242] In a message posted on social media, Bukele claimed that people who continue to believe in and vote for the opposition "does not see, because they do not want to see; they will not change" ("no ve, porque no quiere ver; no cambiará").[243] Bukele has stated that he was willing to work with the international community as long as they respect El Salvador as a partner rather than as subservient, adding that El Salvador can "change" ("cambiar").[239]
Nationalist Republican Alliance
In December 2022, Carlos García Saade, the president of ARENA, stated that ARENA sought to attain the "maximum number" ("la máxima candidad") of deputies and mayors,[147] adding in May 2023 that the party sought to win more than 25 seats in the Legislative Assembly and more than 125 municipalities.[244] After the reduction of municipalities and legislative seats, García Saade stated that the party sought to win at least 25 deputies and the Legislative Assembly and 30 municipalities.[245]
On 26 October 2022, García Saade announced that the party would not join a coalition with the FMLN to defeat Bukele in the 2024 election. He stated that joining forces with the FMLN would "deteriorate both parties" ("deteriorar a ambos partidos"), and that he wanted ARENA to be the alternative for Salvadorans who oppose Bukele.[246] Although he ruled out a coalition with the FMLN, he was still open to forming a coalition with other parties.[247] At an event inaugurating the party's elected leadership on 26 March 2023, García Saade stated that the party was seeking to form coalitions and that it was looking for someone to lead the country's opposition as an "alternative for El Salvador" ("alternativa a El Salvador").[248] On 22 May, the El Faro digital newspaper alleged that ARENA was in negotiations with the FMLN, Vamos, and Nuestro Tiempo to form a political coalition for the presidential election to oppose Bukele.[249] ARENA leaders acknowledged that the party was involved in negotiations[250] but denied that the party was forming a coalition,[251] and García Saade confirmed that ARENA had decided to not form any coalition.[252]
On 9 July 2023, ARENA officially announced that it had selected Joel Sánchez, a Salvadoran businessman living in the U.S., and Hilcia Bonilla, a businesswoman living in the U.S., as its presidential and vice presidential candidates, respectively.[253] Sánchez's candidacy was proposed by the Citizen Resistance civil movement on 15 June 2023,[254] although his initial running mate was Hardy García, the wife of Salvadoran Independent Party (PAIS) leader Roy García;[255] she withdrew her candidacy because she had received "threats" ("amenazas").[256] When Sánchez's candidacy was initially proposed, Miguel Fortín Magaña, the leader of Citizen Resistance, hoped that a political party would accept the movement's proposal and allow Sánchez to run under another party's banner.[257]
ARENA's primary elections were originally scheduled to occur on 18 June 2023,[258] but were later moved to 2 July[259] then again to 9 July,[260] and finally to 16 July.[261] The registration period for primary candidates ended on 15 May; García Saade stated that the names of presidential pre-candidates would not be disclosed for their safety, claiming that they were threatened by persons in government and by governmental institutions.[262] On 16 July, ARENA elected Sánchez and Bonilla as its presidential and vice presidential candidates, respectively.[182] The party also elected 42 municipal candidates and 60 deputy candidates to the Legislative Assembly.[245] According to Citizen Action, ARENA stated that it would not disclose its entire list of candidates due to alleged threats made against its candidates for participating in the elections.[263]
On 25 July 2023, Sánchez stated that he would be willing to renounce his presidential candidacy if it was "the decision of our country and our population" ("deseo de nuestro país y de nuestra población") in order for find a more "suitable" ("idóneo") candidate.[264] Following the publication of a UFG opinion poll in late-August 2023 which listed Sánchez as having 4.3 percent support, Julia Evelyn Martínez, a former professor at the Central American University, stated that Sánchez was considering withdrawing his candidacy due to his low polling figures.[265] In September 2023, García Saade stated that he believed that Sánchez would be able to win the presidency in the second round.[266] ARENA began the process of registering Sánchez's and Bonilla's candidacies with the TSE on 9 October 2023.[267] By 26 October, party also began to register all of its 60 legislative candidates in all 14 departments.[268] On 23 November, ARENA began to register all of its 20 PARLACEN candidates.[269] The TSE registered Sánchez and Bonilla's candidacies on 13 November, the legislative candidates by 16 December, and the PARLACEN candidates on 8 January 2024.[238]
Sánchez has stated that the state of exception "has to be stopped" ("tiene que ser cesado"),[270] elaborating that it "opens the opportunity to carry out abuses, corruption, [and] influence peddling" ("abre la oportunidad para llevar a cabo abusos, corrupción, tráfico de influencias"). Sánchez promised to review economic, taxation, educational, and agricultural policies to determine which ones are succeeding and which are failing. He described the adoption of bitcoin as legal tender as "the worst decision [Bukele's] government could have made" ("la peor decisión que este gobierno pueda haber hecho"), stating that it resulted in the International Monetary Fund refusing to support El Salvador and the government losing millions of dollars.[271] Sánchez and Bonilla stated that they would promote investment by "establishing our judicial system which works" ("establecer nuestro sistema jurídico que funcione"), and Sánchez claimed that he was already in talks with potential unspecified investors.[272] Sánchez supports restoring diplomatic relations with Taiwan as he believes that Taiwan was a "better ally" ("mejor aliado") than China, citing better exchange student programs and trade deals with the country before relations were severed in 2018. He opposes the reduction of municipalities, arguing that it would result in parts of the country being neglected by mayors.[273] In October 2023, Sánchez announced that he would upload videos to TikTok which would make Salvadoran youths want to dance in support of his campaign.[274]
Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front
Following the conclusion of the FMLN's 42nd Ordinary National Convention on 11 December 2022, Óscar Ortiz, the secretary-general of the FMLN, announced that the party would not join any coalition in the 2024 elections with Nuevas Ideas, or ARENA, or GANA, but the party would be open to forming coalitions with other parties.[275] On 22 May 2023, El Faro alleged that the FMLN was in negotiations with ARENA, Vamos, and Nuestro Tiempo to form a political coalition for the presidential election to oppose Bukele.[249] FMLN leaders acknowledged that the party was involved in negotiations[250] but denied that the party was forming a coalition, and Óscar Ortiz reiterated that the party would not form a coalition with ARENA, GANA, or Nuevas Ideas.[251] Jaime Guevara claimed that all the parties, except for the FMLN, were seeking to unify under a single presidential candidate.[276] In July 2023, Ángel Monge, a member of the FMLN's political commission, stated that the FMLN would not form coalitions for the Legislative Assembly but would still consider forming coalitions for the municipal elections.[277] In October 2023, Marleni Funes stated that the FMLN aimed to win 16 or 17 seats in the Legislative Assembly.[278]
A January 2024 FMLN rally
On 29 May 2023, Flores officially registered as a pre-candidate for the presidency; Werner Marroquín registered as Flores' running-mate.[279] Flores was the party's only presidential pre-candidate to register,[280] although Jaime Zavaleta expressed interest in securing the party's nomination.[190] Flores confirmed that the FMLN would not form a coalition with ARENA or any right-wing political parties.[281] The FMLN was open to forming a presidential coalition with Vamos, Nuestro Tiempo, and PAIS,[282] but ultimately did not join any presidential coalition.[206] In October 2023, Óscar Ortiz assured that the FMLN's candidates represented the "hope and future of the country" ("esperanza y el futuro del país").[283]
The party originally planned to hold its primary elections on 11 June 2023, but after the reduction of seats in the Legislative Assembly, its primaries were postponed to 2 July and then again to 16 July.[260] In April 2023, Flores asked the party to not select politicians with a "corrupt past" ("pasado corrupto") during the primary elections.[284] On 16 July, Flores and Marroquín were officially elected as the FMLN's presidential and vice presidential candidates, respectively. The party also elected 44 municipal candidates and 60 candidates for the Legislative Assembly from all fourteen departments.[285] According to Citizen Action, the FMLN stated that it would not disclose its entire list of candidates due to alleged threats made against its candidates for participating in the elections.[263] The FMLN initiated the process to register Flores' and Marroquín's candidacies with the TSE on 7 September.[184] On 7 October, the TSE stated that it could not yet register the FMLN's candidates because both candidates' Court of Accounts of the Republic were not presented with updated photos, proof of solvency from the Ministry of Finance was not up to date, and membership forms lacked signatures and notary seals.[286] On 23 October, Flores assured that he had responded to the TSE's concerns.[287] The TSE officially voted to register Flores and Marroquín's candidacies on 3 November.[180] By 11 October, the FMLN had begun the registration process for all its candidates to the Legislative Assembly in all 14 departments.[288] On 28 October, the FMLN began registering its municipal candidates from San Salvador.[289] On 16 November, the party began the process to register all 20 of its PARLACEN candidates.[290] That same day, Óscar Ortiz stated that the party would consider dropping out of the 2024 elections if they were unable to continue financing its electoral campaigns as a result of debts accumulated during the 2019 and 2021 elections.[291] The TSE registered the legislative candidates by 15 December and the PARLACEN candidates on 24 January 2024.[238]
In October 2023, Flores stated that he believed he would win the presidential election in the first round, making a second round irrelevant.[292] In September 2023, Flores stated that, if elected, he would maintain the state of exception if the country's population is in support of it.[293] He also stated that all criminals "will continue to stay in prison and we will pursue all criminals" ("van a seguir en la cárcel y vamos a perseguir a todos los criminales"). Regarding corruption, Flores stated that "corruption is not combatted, corruption is avoided ... in my government, I will not present corrupt individuals to form part of the cabinet" ("la corrupción no se combate, la corrupción se evita ... en mi gobierno no voy a presentar corruptos que formen parte del gabinete").[294] Flores has promised to invest US$30 million in the transportation sector and reduce the price of transportation fares for students by half, which would affect around 150,000 students in the country.[295] Flores has promised to launch the "Zero Hunger" ("Hambre Cero") initiative to combat hunger by investing US$60 million into building three "zero hunger supply centers" ("centros de abastecimiento hambre cero") which would distribute grain.[296] Flores also proposed raising the minimum pension from US$50 per day to US$70 per day.[297] He has announced his "Prosperous Municipalities" ("Municipios Prósperos") plan to develop and invest in the country's municipalities.[298] Flores has promised to launch investigations into all of Bukele's government officials should he be elected president.[299]
Nuestro Tiempo
In March 2023, Andy Failer, the leader of Nuestro Tiempo, indicated that the party was open to forming coalitions with other parties[248] and confirmed that the party would select presidential and vice presidential candidates.[300] On 13 April, during an interview on Channel 21, Failer confirmed that the party would not form a coalition with ARENA or the FMLN but was still considering a coalition with Vamos;[301] Vamos expressed disinterest in forming a coalition with Nuestro Tiempo.[251] On 22 May, El Faro alleged that Nuestro Tiempo was in negotiations with ARENA, the FMLN, and Vamos to form a political coalition for the presidential election to oppose Bukele,[249] but Nuestro Tiempo reaffirmed that it would form a coalition with ARENA or the FMLN.[251] On 26 July, Failer proposed on Twitter to form a "Democratic National Union" ("Unión Nacional Democrática") with ARENA and the FMLN for a presidential or legislative coalition, but both ARENA and the FMLN reiterated that they would not form a coalition with each other.[302]
On 31 May 2023, Luis Parada, a lawyer who resides in the U.S.,[303] announced that he was running for president. His candidacy was proposed by Sumar por El Salvador. Celia Medrano [es], a human rights lawyer, is Parada's running mate.[304] The following day during an interview with Telecorporación Salvadoreña's Frente a Frente, Failer confirmed that Parada and Medrano were both running under the banner of Nuestro Tiempo, adding that "it's to elect between democracy and dictatorship; if we unite ourselves behind this, we will change what is happening to our country" ("es para elegir entre democracia y dictadura; si nos unimos detrás de eso, vamos a cambiar lo que está pasando en nuestro país").[305] Parada had previously sought ARENA's 2019 presidential nomination.[306]
The party originally planned to hold its primary elections for president and vice president on 25 June 2023 and its primary elections for deputies and mayors on 2 July,[307] but after the reduction of municipalities, the party decided to hold all its primary elections on 15 July.[308] According to Sofía González, the president of Nuestro Tiempo's permanent electoral commission, Nuestro Tiempo would contest legislative seats in 8 departments and the mayorships of 19 municipalities.[309] The party did not participate in the PARLACEN elections as it believed that PARLACEN is a waste of the government's resources.[310] On 15 July, Nuestro Tiempo held its primary elections and officially elected Parada and Medrano as its presidential and vice presidential candidates, respectively, awarding them 100 percent of the vote. The party also elected 18 municipal candidates and 40 deputy candidates in seven departments.[185]
In an interview with Channel 9 in July 2023, Parada stated that, if elected, he would review the necessity and constitutionality of the state of exception.[311][312] In August 2023, Parada stated that he would suspend the state of exception, describing it as "nothing more than propaganda of the current Government" ("nada más la propaganda del Gobierno actual"),[313] and as an "illusion" ("ilusión").[314] Parada promised to remove the justices on the Supreme Court's Constitutional Court and restore the justices which the Legislative Assembly removed on 1 May 2021.[315]
On 25 October 2023, Nuestro Tiempo began the process to register its presidential and vice presidential candidates.[316] By 26 October, Nuestro Tiempo had initiated the process to register its legislative candidates in 5 departments.[317] The TSE registered Parada and Medrano's candidacies on 13 November and the legislative candidates on 27 December.[238]
Solidary Force
Solidary Force originally scheduled its primary elections for 2 July 2023, but after the reduction of the municipalities, its primaries were delayed for 16 July.[318] The party first announced its primary elections on 5 March, when it was not officially registered with the TSE as a political party.[319] On 31 March, the TSE officially allowed the party to participate in the elections.[320] The party announced its elections again on 7 April, as its original announcement was considered to be invalid by the TSE.[321] Some deputies from ARENA, the FMLN, Nuestro Tiempo, and Vamos criticized the TSE for allowing the Solidary Force to register, describing the process as favoritism and illegal.[322][323]
On 16 July 2023, Solidary Force held its primary elections for the 44 municipalities, 16 deputies for San Salvador, and 1 deputy for Ahuachapán, La Paz, Santa Ana, and Sonsonate each.[285] Rigoberto Soto, Solidary Force's leader, stated that the party would complete is primary elections for the remaining departments' deputies by 19 July,[324] and also stated that the party could still present a presidential candidate by the same date. He added that the party would be open to forming coalitions with other parties except for with ARENA or the FMLN.[325] On 24 July, Solidary Force announced that Javier Renderos, an obstetrician, would be its presidential candidate and that Rafael Montalvo, an agriculturist, would be its vice presidential candidate.[186] The party stated that both candidates had been elected on 16 July.[326] Solidary Force formed a municipal coalition with Democratic Change for Usulután Oeste.[234]
On 23 October 2023, Solidary Force began the process to register its presidential and vice presidential candidates as well as its legislative candidates for San Salvador.[327] By 26 October, the party had initiated the process to register its legislative candidates in 9 departments.[317] On 23 November, the party began the process of registering all 20 of its PARLACEN candidates.[328] The TSE registered Renderos and Montalvo's candidacies on 13 November, the legislative candidates by 8 December, and the PARLACEN candidates by 30 January 2024.[238]
Salvadoran Patriotic Fraternity
The Salvadoran Patriotic Fraternity held its primary elections from 16 to 20 July 2023.[329] On 27 August, the party announced that it selected Marina Murillo, an architect, as its presidential candidate and Fausto Carranza as its vice presidential candidate.[187] Murillo is the first woman to run for president of El Salvador since Rina Escalante ran with the Authentic Democratic Christian Movement in the 1994 presidential election.[330]
On 23 October 2023, the Salvadoran Patriotic Fraternity began the process of registering its presidential and vice-presidential candidates.[331] It did not register any legislative candidates.[317] On 23 November, the party began to register all 20 of its PARLACEN candidates.[269] The TSE registered Murillo and Carranza's candidacies on 3 November.[238]
Salvadoran Independent Party
In December 2022, Roy García stated that the party sought to win between 20 and 25 deputies in the Legislative Assembly and between 90 and 100 mayors.[147] PAIS sought to ally with opposition political parties such as ARENA, the FMLN, Vamos, Nuestro Tiempo, or the Salvadoran Patriotic Fraternity (FPS).[332][333]
Samuel Tejada, the party's affiliation secretary, stated that the party would select presidential and vice presidential candidates.[300] Gerardo Awad, a former presidential pre-candidate for ARENA in 2019, sought a presidential campaign with PAIS. In July 2022, PAIS refused to allow him to run with the party,[334] and in January 2023, Awad announced that he would no longer seek to run for president with PAIS.[335] Awad invited Mario Vega, the senior pastor of Misión Cristiana Elim Internacional, to be his vice presidential candidate, but Vega declined Awad's offer and stated that he did not intend to seek any public office during the 2024 election.[192] On 4 June 2023, Awad officially announced his withdrawal from the 2024 election as he did not believe that conditions were favorable for his campaign, but he stated that he would prepare for a new presidential campaign in 2029.[189]
PAIS planned to hold its elections on 11 June 2023,[318] but Roy García contrarily claimed that the party would not hold elections and instead participate as a social movement in a coalition with another party.[332][333] After the reduction of municipalities, the party postponed its primaries until 2 July,[318] but the party ended up holding its primary elections on 16 July. On 16 August, the party sought to hold a meeting with the TSE to discuss the party's status ahead of the 2024 election as the party believed that the TSE showed a lack of recognition of its primary elections. The party stated that it would hold a street protest if the TSE failed to meet with PAIS within eight days.[336]
On 28 August 2023, PAIS deputy secretary Carlos Molina announced that it selected José Cardoza, an agricultural engineer, as its presidential candidate and Irma Sosa as its vice presidential candidate.[337] The party also presented its legislative, municipal, and PARLACEN candidates, however, Roy García stated on Facebook that Molina's announcement was not legitimate and that all of the party's candidates were invalid. He added that the party should wait and reorganize for the 2027 legislative election.[338] On 21 September, PAIS began the process to register Cardoza's and Sosa's candidacies with the TSE,[339] however, on 4 October, the TSE passed a resolution to deregister the party and disallow it from participating in the 2024 election.[188] Cardoza denounced the resolution stating that it was undemocratic. Meanwhile, Roy García reiterated that PAIS should wait to participate in the 2027 legislative election as he believed that the party had no chance in winning the 2024 election and was in danger of falling into irrelevance.[340] On 13 October, Herbert Vega Cruz, a lawyer for PAIS, accused the TSE magistrates of committing electoral fraud for deregistering the party and rejecting its candidates.[341] By 26 October, PAIS began the process to register all its legislative candidates in 9 departments.[317] Supporters of Roy García falsely claimed that they had registered "more than 600 candidates" ("más de 600 candidatos") when they could only register up to 60.[342] On 28 November, the TSE stated that it would not register any of PAIS' presidential, legislative, municipal, or PARLACEN candidates.[343]
Grand Alliance for National Unity
In December 2022, Gallegos stated that the party sought to increase the number of seats it has in the Legislative Assembly from 5 to 15. Before the reduction of municipalities of legislative seats, Gallegos stated that the party sought to increase its number of mayors from 34 to over 100.[147] After the reductions of municipalities, Gallegos stated that GANA sought to win 12 seats in the Legislative Assembly and 15 municipalities.[344] Gallegos initially stating he would seek re-election to the Legislative Assembly,[345] but then later stated that he was running for mayor of San Salvador Centro,[346] and then again reverted his decision again stating that he would be seeking re-election to the Legislative Assembly.[347]
Prior to Bukele's registration as a presidential pre-candidate with Nuevas Ideas on 26 June 2023, some GANA leaders believed that Bukele could seek re-election with GANA rather than Nuevas Ideas as he was initially elected in 2019 as a member of GANA.[348] In July 2022, Gallegos stated that GANA would endorse Bukele's re-election campaign if he ran under the banner of another party instead of GANA.[349] On 16 June 2023, Gallegos stated that GANA would not participate in the presidential election unless Bukele was the party's candidate.[350] On 26 June, Gallegos confirmed that GANA would not run a presidential or vice presidential candidate, stating that the party supports Bukele's re-election campaign.[4]
The party originally planned to hold its primary elections on 2 July 2023,[351] but after the reduction of municipalities, the party delayed its primaries until 16 July.[318] The party held its primaries on 16 July and elected 44 municipal candidates, 60 deputies to the Legislative Assembly from all fourteen departments, and deputies to PARLACEN.[344][352] GANA formed one municipal coalition with Nuevas Ideas for San Miguel Centro and one municipal coalition with the PCN for Chalatenango Centro.[234] Unlike in the 2021 election, GANA did not form coalitions with Nuevas Ideas for the Legislative Assembly elections.[199]
By 25 October 2023, GANA had initiated the registration process for all of its legislative candidates in all 14 departments.[353] On 20 November, GANA began to register all 20 of its PARLACEN candidates.[269] The TSE registered the legislative candidates by 8 December and the PARLACEN candidates by 8 January 2024.[238]
National Coalition Party
Before the reduction of municipalities of legislative seats, Manuel Rodríguez stated that the PCN sought to increase the number of deputies in the Legislative Assembly from 3 to 9 and increase the number of mayors from 2 to 33.[354]
The party originally planned to hold its primary elections on 5 July 2023,[355] but after the reduction of municipalities, it delayed its primaries for 16 July.[318] The party opened its primaries on 16 July and concluded them on 20 July.[324][356] The PCN formed a coalition with the PDC to jointly contest both legislative seats of Morazán.[357] It also formed a coalition with the Citizen Power civil movement for legislative seats and municipalities in San Salvador. The coalition is unofficial as Citizen Power is not a registered political party.[358] In August 2023, Rodríguez confirmed that the PCN would not present a presidential candidate.[359] On 30 January 2024, the PCN announced its support for Bukele's presidential campaign.[6] The PCN formed one municipal coalition with GANA for Chalatenango Centro and two municipal coalitions with the PDC for the Morazán Norte and Morazán Sur.[234]
By 26 October 2023, the PCN had initiated the process to register its legislative candidates in 12 departments.[317] By 23 November, the PCN began the process to register all 20 of its PARLACEN candidates.[328] The TSE registered the legislative candidates by 27 December and the PARLACEN candidates on 30 January 2024.[238]
Christian Democratic Party
On 5 June 2023, Reinaldo Carballo, the PDC's secretary-general, announced that the party would not have a presidential candidate. He confirmed that the party would participate in the legislative and municipal elections, and that the party was reorganizing its electoral process to adjust for the reduction of municipalities and seats in the Legislative Assembly.[360] After the reduction of municipalities and legislative seats, Carballo stated that the party expects to win at least 10 municipalities and 12 seats in the Legislative Assembly.[361]
The PDC originally planned to hold its primary elections on 14 May 2023, but later postponed them to 2 July and then again to 20 July.[260] The party opened its primaries four days early on 16 July[285] and closed them on 19 July.[324] Carballo reaffirmed that the PDC would not have a presidential candidate and stated that the party supported Bukele's re-election campaign.[5] The PDC formed a coalition with the PCN to jointly contest both legislative seats of Morazán,[357] as well as the seats for both the Morazán Norte and Morazán Sur municipalities.[234] The PDC disclosed its full list of 20 legislative, 23 municipal, and 2 PARLACEN candidates on 24 September. Carballo reaffirmed that the PDC would not present a presidential candidate, stating "we have not found a Salvadoran who could beat Nayib Bukele" ("no hemos encontrado un salvadoreño que le pueda ganar a Nayib Bukele").[362]
By 26 October 2023, the PDC had initiated the process to register its legislative candidates in 9 departments.[317] On 23 November, the party began to register all 20 of its PARLACEN candidates.[269] The TSE registered the legislative candidates by 8 December and the PARLACEN candidates on 8 January 2024.[238]
Vamos
On 5 March 2023, Vamos formally announced that it would not run a presidential candidate or compete in the PARLACEN elections.[363] Claudia Ortiz announced her intention to be re-elected as a deputy of the Legislative Assembly and that she would not seek a presidential candidacy.[364] She later added that winning control of the Legislative Assembly was more important that winning the presidency and that she would fight throughout the next presidential term.[365] Sofía Vaquerano, the party's legal secretary, stated that Vamos would not form coalitions with individuals who had been accused of being corrupt.[366]
Initially, Claudia Ortiz stated that the party was open to forming a coalition with other parties,[248] but later stated that the party would not seek any political coalition.[364] On 22 May 2023, El Faro alleged that Vamos was in negotiations with ARENA, the FMLN, and Nuestro Tiempo to form a political coalition for the presidential election to oppose Bukele.[249] In response, Vamos stated that it would focus more on the Legislative Assembly than on winning the presidency.[251]
The party originally planned to hold its primary elections on 18 June 2023,[363] but after the reduction of municipalities, the party postponed its primaries to 16 July.[318] During the primaries, Vamos elected 8 municipal candidates and 32 deputy candidates for the Legislative Assembly in five departments. Additionally, Cesia Rivas was elected as the party's new secretary general.[367] By 26 October, Vamos had initiated the process to register its legislative candidates in 5 departments.[317] The TSE registered the legislative candidates by 20 December.[238]
Democratic Change
Democratic Change initially planned to hold its primary elections on 4 June 2023,[368] but later rescheduled them for 19 July.[324] Democratic Change held its primary elections from 16 to 19 July and elected legislative, municipal, and PARLACEN candidates.[329] Democratic Change formed two municipal coalitions with Nuevas Ideas for Sonsonate Oeste and Santa Ana Norte and one municipal coalition with Solidary Force for Usulután Oeste.[234] On 26 October, the party registered all its legislative candidates in 13 departments.[342] By 23 November, the party began the process to register all 20 of its PARLACEN candidates.[328] The TSE registered the legislative candidates by 29 December and the PARLACEN candidates on 24 January 2024.[238] Democratic Change did not select a presidential candidate, instead endorsing Bukele's re-election campaign.[7]
Salvadoran Democracy
Salvadoran Democracy stated it would hold its primary elections on 7 May 2023,[369] but it ultimately did not hold primary elections and did not participate in the 2024 election.[207] It did not register any legislative or PARLACEN candidates.[269][317]
Independents
Registration for independent candidates began on 5 May 2023[370] and ended on 5 September.[371] Manuel Meléndez was the only independent to begin registration with the TSE, however, he abandoned the registration process on 16 August.[372]
Opinion polling has been conducted by various groups such as CIESCA, Fundaungo, La Prensa Gráfica, TResearch, and UFG prior to the 2024 general election; virtually every poll conducted indicates significant leads for Nuevas Ideas in the presidential, legislative, and municipal elections.[54][373] Additionally, opinion polling was conducted whether or not Salvadorans support Bukele's re-election; virtually every poll indicated that a large majority of Salvadorans would support Bukele's re-election.[374] Many Salvadoran Americans also support Bukele's re-election.[375]
Results
Presidential results
The TSE published the presidential election's final results on 9 February 2024 and formally ratified the results on 17 February; Bukele won with 84.65 percent of the vote.[179][376] Bukele was the first presidential candidate in Salvadoran history to receive more than two million votes.[377] Among the other candidates, Flores received 6.40 percent of the vote, Sánchez received 5.57 percent, Parada received 2.04 percent, and Renderos and Murillo each received less than 1 percent.[179] On 18 February, the TSE ratified the results of the presidential election,[378] and on 29 February, it granted Bukele and Ulloa their presidential and vice presidential credentials, respectively.[379]
The following table displays the number of votes each candidate received from each of the country's 14 departments as well as from the exterior vote. The candidate with the most votes in a department is in bold and highlighted in their party's color and the runner-up in a department is in bold.
Composition of the Legislative Assembly after the 2024 election (top) and its composition had the electoral reforms of June 2023 not occurred (bottom)[380]
The TSE published the legislative election's final results on 18 February; Nuevas Ideas won 54 out of 60 seats, a supermajority. ARENA and the PCN both won 2 seats while Vamos and the PDC each won one seat.[381] The FMLN, GANA, and Nuestro Tiempo lost all of their seats in the Legislative Assembly, while Democratic Change and Solidary Force failed to win any seats.[381][382] Additionally, Nuestro Tiempo and Democratic Change failed to receive more than 50,000 votes and could possibly lose registration with the TSE as per article 47, section C of the Law of Political Parties which mandates the dissolution of such parties.[383] On 18 March 2024, the TSE ratified the results of the legislative election,[384] and on 20 March, it gave the elected deputies their legislative credentials.[385]
On 25 February 2024, to Citizen Action published its findings regarding what the results of the legislative election would have been had the hare quota largest remainder method remained in place, the Legislative Assembly had not been reduced from 84 to 60 seats, and the votes from expatriates had not been considered—the manner in which previous legislative elections were conducted prior to the June 2023 electoral reforms. According to the group's findings, the composition of the Legislative Assembly would have been: Nuevas Ideas with 60 seats, ARENA with 7, the FMLN with 6, GANA and Vamos with 3 each, the PCN and PDC with 2 each, and Nuestro Tiempo with 1. According to Citizen Action, the electoral reforms only benefited Nuevas Ideas. It also concluded that, even without the results, the party and its allies would have retained a two-thirds majority.[380]
The following table displays the number of votes and seats each political party received from each of the country's 14 departments. The vote total for San Salvador includes votes cast from the exterior. The party with the most votes in a department is in bold and highlighted in its party color and the party with the second most votes and seats in a department is in bold.
Composition of the municipalities after the 2024 election (top) and its composition had the electoral reforms of June 2023 not occurred (bottom)[387]
All 44 municipalities have had their winners declared.[388] Nuevas Ideas, GANA, the PDC, the PCN, Solidary Force, and ARENA all won at least one mayorship, while the FMLN, Vamos, Nuestro Tiempo, Democratic Change, and the Salvadoran Patriotic Fraternity did not win any.[389] Turnout for the municipal election was the lowest since the end of the Salvadoran Civil War in 1992.[390] In total, the opposition won one mayorship, one trustee, 24 proprietary aldermen, and 23 substitute aldermen in 16 of the 44 municipal councils; this accounts for around 10 percent of all municipal council positions. The remaining 90 percent of municipal council positions were won by Nuevas Ideas and its allies.[391]
According to La Prensa Gráfica, had the reduction of municipalities not occurred, Nuevas Ideas would have still won the most municipalities, but it would not have won more than half of the municipalities, winning only 122 compared to 152 in 2021. Additionally, the FMLN and Democratic Change, parties which failed to win any municipalities, would have won 21 and 1 municipalities, respectively.[387]
The TSE will give the elected mayors and council members their credentials in early-April 2024.[392]
Turnout for the PARLACEN election was the lowest in 25 years and reached just 29.8%.[393] In 2021 turnout for the PARLACEN election stood at 50.3%.
La Prensa Gráfica attributed the low turnout and almost 10 percent of the vote being blank or invalid to PARLACEN's general unpopularity within in El Salvador, with many invalid ballots containing messages questioning PARLACEN's functions or relevance.[394] The TSE will give the elected PARLACEN deputies their credentials in early-April 2024.[392]
A crowd of Bukele's supporters in front of the National Palace shortly before he gives a speech
Shortly after polling stations closed but before the TSE officially announced the results of the presidential and legislative elections, Bukele posted on X declaring that, "according to our numbers", he had won the presidential election with "more than 85% of the votes" and that Nuevas Ideas had won "a minimum of" 58 of the Legislative Assembly's 60 seats.[395] He also claimed that his electoral victory was "a record in the entire democratic history of the world"[396] and that the 2024 election was "the first time in history that El Salvador has democracy, and it's not me saying it, it's the people".[397] A crowd of Bukele's supporters gathered at the Plaza Gerardo Barrios in San Salvador to celebrate his victory. Bukele later addressed the crowd from the balcony of the National Palace and celebrated his victory in a speech,[398][399] during which he criticized journalists who themselves had criticized the gang crackdown and his concentration of power.[397][400] Bukele also remarked that the election results was "the first time in a country that just one party exists in a completely democratic system", adding that "the entire opposition together was pulverized".[401]The Economist indicated that Bukele may potentially seek to change the constitution and run for a third presidential term in the 2029 presidential election, as he had previously stated that the constitution did not "currently" allow for a third presidential term.[402]
Former FMLN Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes stated that the opposition was defeated "without a doubt" ("no cabe ninguna duda").[403] In a press conference on 4 February 2024, Flores stated that the FMLN would not disappear as a political entity and that it was "not correct" ("no es correcto") for Bukele to declare himself the election's winner before the TSE made an official announcement. Óscar Ortiz thanked those who voted for Flores and stated that "history does not end here" ("historia no termina acá").[404] Flores did not concede.[405] On 5 February, Claudia Ortiz stated that "democratic spaces are closing in El Salvador, civil society is closing down and there is an environment of fear to speak out".[406] On 7 February, Sánchez conceded the election and congratulated Bukele on his victory.[407]
After the results of the legislative election were published, Flores claimed that he had votes stolen from both him and the FMLN.[405] Lourdes Argueta, a member of the FMLN's political commission, stated that the party "did not need a seat to [...] defend the interests of the population" ("no necesitaron un curul para [...] defender los interés de la población").[408] Regarding Claudia Ortiz winning re-election to the Legislative Assembly with Vamos, Mauricio Funes stated that she "has fought the battle and I am sure that she will continue to fight" ("ha dado la batalla y estoy seguro de que la va a seguir dando").[403] The Resistance and Popular Rebellion Bloc called for Salvadorans to "reject this electoral farce".[409] When asked about Nuevas Ideas' 500,000-vote difference between the presidential and legislative elections, Castro stated that "there is no comparison" ("no hay comparación") and that such comparisons were "pears to apples" ("peras a manzanas") as Bukele was a "phenomenon at the global level" ("fenómeno a nivel mundial").[410] After GANA lost all its seats in the Legislative Assembly, Gallegos, who himself lost his seat, stated that he would continue to support Bukele regardless of his political situation.[411]
After polling stations closed for the municipal and PARLACEN elections, Bukele posted on X that Nuevas Ideas and its allies had won 43 of the 44 municipalities, claiming that the only municipality the opposition won was La Libertad Este.[412] He acknowledged that some of Nuevas Ideas' municipal candidates lost as voters were unsatisfied with their current tenures.[413] Bukele's announcement came before any official announcement from the TSE.[412] Milagro Navas, ARENA's sole elected mayor, celebrated her victory against Minister of Housing Michelle Sol and stated that she would cooperate with Bukele's government.[414] After the FMLN failed to win any mayorships, the party leadership stated that the FMLN would undergo a "total reorganization" ("reorganización total"),[415] adding that "this is not the end, it is the closing of a stage" ("este no es el fin, es el cierre de una etapa").[416]
United States Secretary of StateAntony Blinken congratulated Bukele on X, stating that "the events in El Salvador have a direct impact on the interests of the United States" ("los eventos en El Salvador tienen un impacto directo en los intereses de Estados Unidos") and that the American and Salvadoran governments could "reach our maximum potential and surpass major obstacles in our hemisphere and at the global stage" ("alcanzar nuestro máximo potencial y superar los mayores obstáculos en nuestro hemisferio y a nivel mundial") through cooperation. William H. Duncan, the United States ambassador to El Salvador, congratulated Bukele, adding that he hoped to "continue working with representatives of the Salvadoran people elected to fortify democracy, increase economic opportunities, and confront the shared challenges of the 21st century" ("seguir trabajando con los representantes del pueblo salvadoreño elegidos para fortalecer la democracia, ampliar las oportunidades económicas y afrontar los retos compartidos del siglo XXI").[424] Several members of the Democratic Party in the United States Senate congratulated Bukele's victory, but expressed that they were "troubled" regarding "unconstitutional moves that strongly influenced the outcome of Sunday's election" and statements made by Ulloa regarding "'eliminating' and 'replacing' democracy".[425]Republican senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio also congratulated Bukele.[426]
On 5 February 2024, several foreign news publications called the presidential election for Bukele, describing it as a "landslide victory".[397][427] Foreign news publications also described Nuevas Ideas' legislative victory as creating a "de facto one-party state".[406][428][429] Tyler Mattiace, a researcher for Human Rights Watch, described the election as a "growing rejection of the basic principles of democracy and human rights, and support for authoritarian populism among people who feel that, concepts like democracy and human rights and due process have failed them".[428]
Allegations of irregularities
Shortly after polling stations closed at 5 p.m. CST, Bukele accused the TSE and Indra Solutions of preventing expatriates from casting their vote by not allowing them to cast their vote after the said time. He argued that people waiting in line before the polling stations closed still had to be allowed to vote and called upon Attorney General Rodolfo Delgado to launch an investigation. Delgado responded by stating that the office of the attorney general "will prosecute those who committed a crime" ("procesará a quien cometa delito").[430] The TSE announced that it would re-open voting at three voting centers in the United States which had not allowed Salvadorans to vote after 5 p.m. CST, however, the TSE later retraced its announcement following a petition made by ARENA.[431] Bukele responded on X to the TSE's retraction by stating "remember this, when the opposition asks you again for votes in the next elections" ("recuerden esto, cuando la oposición vuelva a pedirles el voto en las próximas elecciones").[432]
The first preliminary results were released by the TSE late on 4 February 2024 but stalled until the morning of 5 February, with its website crashing shortly before midnight local time. The TSE attributed the delay on "multiple actions that have hampered the development of the transmission activities of preliminary results" and shortages of paper to print out vote tallies. It advised electoral boards at polling stations to resort to contingency measures such as tallying votes by hand and taking photographs or scans of manual tallies before sending them to the TSE.[401] Representatives from ARENA, the FMLN, Vamos, and Nuestro Tiempo criticized the TSE's counting delay.[433] Nuestro Tiempo claimed that there were inconsistencies between preliminary vote totals published by the TSE in published statements and on its website.[434] Óscar Picardo, the director of sciences at the Francisco Gavidia University, stated that "we've never seen a situation that affects electoral integrity like this ... it's obvious that Bukele has the most votes, as the polls say, but there are a lot of irregularities in the processing".[397]
ARENA, the FMLN, Vamos, and Nuestro Tiempo all called for the TSE to launch a recount.[435] On 5 February 2024, the TSE stated that it would conduct a recount of 29 percent of the presidential ballots and manually count the legislative ballots "vote by vote" ("voto por voto") at the José Adolfo Pineda National Gymnasium,[436] and that the results would be finalized within 15 days.[437] The recount for the presidential ballots began on 7 February[438] and ended on 9 February.[179] The recount for legislative ballots began on 11 February[439] and ended on 18 February.[440] During the recount process, opposition politicians accused the TSE of manipulating the recount to benefit Nuevas Ideas by including unfolded ballots which were marked in black pen; according to the TSE's election procedures, only folded ballots filled out in black crayon were considered to be valid.[441][442][443]
Leaders of the opposition with a proposal to nullify the results of the legislative election
On 6 February 2024, García Saade stated that ARENA would ask the TSE to nullify the presidential and legislative election results "not because of what happened, but because what will happen afterwards" ("no por lo que ha pasado, sino por lo que va a pasar después"),[444] while the FMLN and Nuestro Tiempo stated they would ask the TSE to nullify the legislative election results due to irregularities.[445] On 10 February, ARENA stated that it would petition the TSE to postpone the municipal and PARLACEN elections by 15 days and to not use the same electoral system which was used during the presidential and legislative elections.[446] On 13 February, the TSE announced that it would not postpone the municipal or PARLACEN elections.[447] On 19 February, leaders from ARENA, Vamos, and Nuestro Tiempo jointly announced submitted a petition to the TSE to nullify the legislative elections due to irregularities and allegations of fraud.[448] Later that day, the FMLN stated it would do the same.[449] On 21 February, the TSE denied the joint petition, declaring it as unfounded;[450] the TSE did the same for the FMLN's petition the following day.[451] In response to the TSE's declaration, Failer stated that the TSE was "[ignoring] the structural fraud which vitiated this election" ("ignoran el fraude estructural que vició esta elección").[452]
Although the OAS voiced concern to the TSE during the recount process regarding the TSE leaving the recount process "in the hands of the representatives of the political parties",[441] the OAS stated that "the Mission did not observe actions which indicate that the will of the citizenry expressed at the polls was altered" ("la Misión no observó hechos que indicaran que se alteró la voluntad de la ciudadanía expresada en las urnas").[453] Observe El Salvador 2024 stated that it had observed valid crossed votes for opposition parties be marked as invalid while invalid votes were marked as valid for Nuevas Ideas.[454] The Interchange and Solidarity Center stated that it had observed irregularities at 69 voting centers both in El Salvador and in the United States.[455] Eduardo Escobar stated that there were "surely" irregularities and questioned how much of an impact they had on the final results.[441]
^Nayib Bukele was granted a leave of absence by the Legislative Assembly on 30 November 2023. The Legislative Assembly appointed Claudia Rodríguez de Guevara, Bukele's private secretary, as presidential designee for a six month period until the end of the presidential term on 1 June 2024.[1]
^The number of members on the municipal councils vary per department. Of the 44 municipalities, 2 have 15 members, 2 have 13 members, and 40 have 9 members. The councils themselves consist of 1 trustee, 4 (or 8 or 10) proprietary aldermen, and 4 substitute aldermen.[2]
^The PDC's vote total includes the votes for the coalition between the PDC and the PCN in the department of Morazán: 360 for the PDC, 125 for the PCN, and 4,913 for PDC–PCN.[386]
^Rodríguez, Lourdes (11 January 2024). "2024 Inicia Garantizando Seguridad de Salvadoreños" [2024 Begins Guaranteeing Security of Salvadorans]. Diario la Huella (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 12 January 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
0.72pp).jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
El Salvador portal 
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
.svg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.png)
.png)
.png)
