Remote Electronic Voting Begins for Salvadorans Residing Abroad

This Saturday, January 6, at 00:00, the Salvadoran Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) enabled electronic voting for Presidential and legislative elections. 741,094 Salvadorans who have a Unique Identity Document (DUI) with an address abroad can begin casting their votes.

The electoral calendar began this morning and will close on February 4 at 5:00 p.m. El Salvador time zone. Salvadorans abroad can vote following this link: votacion.tse.gob.sv

TSE president Dora de Barahona stated that should any malfunctions or breaches occur in the voting system, it will be the responsibility of the magistrates or the Electoral Board for Voting Abroad to address and report on the issue.

We have made history by enabling remote Internet voting for Salvadorans with a DUI address abroad for the election of president and deputies to the Assembly. Dora Martínez de Barahona, president of the TSE.

Voting from abroad will apply to the elections of the Presidency and Vice Presidency and deputies of the Legislative Assembly. In the case of the Internet option, the votes for the Assembly will be applied to the constituency of the department of San Salvador.

The tally of online votes cast will remain inaccessible throughout the voting period, and it will only be revealed after the election on February 4.

The 2024 elections mark the first time that electronic voting will be used for Salvadorans. This is a milestone for the country with some controversy.

Members of the opposition claim that there is not enough transparency and don’t like that all votes cast online for deputies will be credited to the San Salvador department.

The Washington Office for Latin American Affairs (WOLA) expressed concern about the lack of transparency in the remote voting process from abroad.

On January 6, 2024, Salvadorans in the US will begin voting under a system without clear regulations. In-person and remote electronic voting, as determined by the Electoral Tribunal (TSE), will occur without electoral supervision or direct observation. WOLA.

“WOLA is concerned about the lack of transparency in El Salvador’s electoral process abroad. We urge the TSE authorities the to rigorously adhere to the country’s legal framework and international standards to safeguard democratic principles,” remarked the organization on its official X account.

The manifestation of El Salvador’s robust democratic spirit remains uncertain in the upcoming electronic voting, as the country’s cultural tendencies historically reflect a subdued participation in electoral processes with consistently low voter turnout.