Here is the list of congressional candidates. The 2019 electoral process in Guatemala has been marked by scarce information about candidates. The prohibitions stemming from the 2016 reforms to the Electoral and Political Parties Law (LEPP) caused serious challenges to Guatemalan democracy and hinder institutional strengthening. Consequently, to counteract one of these negative effects, we have compiled an up-to-date list of congressional candidates.

The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) did not provide an accessible website to communicate information about candidates, nor did it concretely respond to various requests for public information. Therefore, strengthening the institutional framework of the TSE is extremely important in future reforms to ensure its actions promote democratic participation.

Why does Congress matter?

Deputies represent the will of the people, and it is important that the candidates who hold this position represent the people of Guatemala. Additionally, Congress has the pending task of consolidating a democratic republic in Guatemala by legislating, representing, and overseeing efficiently. Another important function of Congress is to act as a check on the power of the executive branch.

For this reason, we have undertaken this civic effort to compile and update the candidacies for the different electoral districts. This information aims to promote a #ResponsibleVote. The data published is based on resolutions published by the TSE on its official website as of June 10, 2019.

#BeAware of who the candidates are that each party nominates, as well as their position on the ballot.

How are deputies elected?

The Constitution (article 157) establishes that deputies are elected "directly by the people through universal and secret suffrage, by the system of electoral districts and a national list." But what does this mean? All adult Guatemalans cast a vote for a list of people that the party of our preference presented as its candidates. We can only cast our vote within a specific geographical constituency that our law calls a "district." This corresponds in all cases (except for those who vote in the capital city) to the department in which we reside. In addition to our vote for the district, we vote for a list that parties present for the representation of the entire country (national list).

There is a citizen initiative for the next elections to allow us to vote directly for candidates regardless of their position on the ballot. This would encourage citizens to have more power in their vote and prevent political parties from choosing those most likely to be elected.

How many deputies are in my district?

Another change that came into effect in these elections was the number of deputies. Previously, there was one for every 80,000 inhabitants, and more populated districts got more seats. Now, according to article 205 of the LEPP, the number is fixed and established as follows: