Ecuador's political parties and movements have fifteen days to register candidates for the local elections scheduled for November 29, with lists that fail to meet gender parity and youth inclusion rules facing outright rejection from the process.
The National Electoral Council (CNE) called the vote on Saturday, opening a candidate registration window that runs from August 2 until 6 p.m. on August 17, when the candidate registration system will close.
More than 60,000 candidates are expected to register on average for the 5,742 seats across local governments, according to projections based on the type of election.
Parity and Youth Rules
There are two grounds on which a list can be permanently rejected: failing to emerge from internal primary elections within a party, and failing to comply with gender parity and intergenerational rules.
On gender parity, parties must ensure that 50 percent of candidates heading their national lists for prefectures are women. For mayoralties, women must make up 50 percent of the total at the provincial level. The same 50 percent threshold applies to council lists at the provincial level and to parish boards assessed at the cantonal level.
On youth inclusion, 25 percent of candidates in each constituency must be men or women between 18 and 29 years old.
The CNE deployed a simulation platform during the internal democracy stage that 9,100 people accessed, allowing political organizations to verify that their lists comply with the rules before formal submission.
Other Requirements and Prohibitions
Candidates must submit a curriculum vitae and a passport-size photograph with a white background. They may not use nicknames or names that include copies of their identity document. Residency in the jurisdiction they wish to represent must be proved either through place of birth, as shown on the identity card, or through uninterrupted residence in the jurisdiction for the two years prior to registration, certified by a sworn declaration.
The Democracy Code and registration regulations set out 16 prohibitions. Barred candidates include those with active state contracts, those carrying convictions for corruption offences such as embezzlement or bribery, those who owe child support payments, active members of the armed forces or national police, and those with assets in tax havens.
Once lists are approved, including after any ruling by the Electoral Dispute Tribunal, candidacies become irrevocable.
