Election day begins in El Salvador

A total of 5.4 million Salvadorans living in the national territory are authorized to go to the polls this day to cast their vote for the election of 44 mayors and their municipal councils, who will perform functions in the new restructuring that reduced the number of municipalities from 262 to 44.

In June 2023, the Legislative Assembly approved the Special Law for Municipal Restructuring, which reorganized the territorial conformation of the 14 departments, which will come into force as of May 1.

This seeks to generate better territorial administration and that the funds that enter municipal governments benefit the entire population, regardless of whether there are localities that do not generate high income of money, according to the deputies of the Legislative Assembly.

Based on the new law, El Salvador is holding its first elections today to give 44 candidates the opportunity to lead the same number of communes nationwide.

Guillermo Wellman, magistrate of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), recently explained that the electoral work to organize the municipal elections was maintained despite the reduction in the number of municipalities, but it is likely that the preliminary results of said elections will be announced. faster with respect to what happened on the previous February 4 with the presidential and legislative elections.

«We only have 44 councils, and that is another advantage of the Special Law for Municipal Restructuring, that is why I believe that we will soon have an index of how the results are going, the minutes will be there and the political parties will have them. ; So, I think we are going to have preliminary results for the next day,” he stated.

Wellman also valued the special law as positive for the new functioning that the municipalities will have, because the number of councilors and trustees that will make up the councils was also reduced.

«The law is good and comes to regulate and standardize the municipal scheme […]can save expenses for the public administration,” he expressed.

Marvin Depaz, analyst and master in Political Science, agreed with the electoral magistrate, pointing out that the new territorial conformation will bring the country multiple benefits that will be reflected in the short term.

“The experience of large municipalities will be transferred to those with less economic capacity and experience,” said Depaz.

He added that it will be easier to have control of the 44 municipalities at the audit and expense recording level. «Such a small country [como El Salvador] I didn’t need to have so many municipalities.

From any perspective we see it there will be savings […]money that is going to be used for infrastructure and for the different goals that each of the municipalities sets,” considered the analyst.

During today, Salvadorans will also be able to vote for the 20 deputies and their substitutes who will represent El Salvador in the Central American Parliament (Parlacen).

With this, the TSE concludes the general election voting, waiting for 2027, when there would be legislative and municipal elections again.

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