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Preliminary Report of the OAS Electoral Observation Mission in Ecuador for the Referendum and Public Consultation of April 21, 2024

The full Preliminary Report is available here.

The Electoral Observation Mission of the Organization of American States (OAS/EOM), led by the former President of the Board of Directors of the Electoral Service of Chile, Patricio Santamaría Mutis, salutes the citizens of Ecuador for their participation in the referendum and public consultation held on Sunday, April 21, and hails the civic commitment of those who turned out to exercise their right to vote. The Mission also congratulates the polling station teams, whose dedication enabled the successful completion of this exercise in democracy.

The Mission also recognizes the work of the National Electoral Council (CNE), taking into account, on one hand, the short preparation period that the law provides for this type of event and, on the other, the budgetary constraints it faced in organizing the electoral process.

Although the voting proceeded peacefully on Sunday, the Mission considers it important to note that the backdrop for this referendum and public consultation was a complex one, including the activities of organized crime groups, increasing violence, and assassinations of political figures. The OAS/EOM strongly condemned the deadly attacks that took place in the days leading up to the ballot, and deeply regretted the deaths of two mayors and the bodyguard of one of them in Azuay (Camilo Ponce Enriquez canton) and El Oro (Portovelo canton).

In addition, the Mission notes that the turnout was lower than the last elections in Ecuador. According to preliminary data provided by the CNE, 72% of the electorate took part in the referendum and public consultation. That figure is 9 percentage points lower than the average turnout for the three elections held in 2023, and 10 points lower than the turnout for a similar plebiscite in 2018. This is especially significant considering that voting is compulsory in Ecuador. As in other electoral processes in the region where this has occurred, the OAS/EOM stresses the importance of considering each poll as an opportunity for citizens to make their voice heard, particularly when they are called upon to make a direct decision on important issues for the country.

The OAS Mission began arriving in stages starting on April 11, and comprised 15 international experts of 7 different nationalities. The Mission monitored key aspects of the process, including electoral organization, overseas voting, electoral technology, the electoral justice system, political finance, and specific elements of the direct democracy mechanism.

During its deployment, the Mission met with senior electoral and government officials, representatives of organizations registered to campaign, and representatives of civil society and academia. On the day of the poll, the Mission deployed in the Metropolitan District of Quito to observe the preparations and proceedings of the ballot.

PRE-ELECTORAL STAGE

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The full Preliminary Report is available here.

Reference: S-006/24