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POLITICS · EL SALVADOR
Key Facts
- —The country El Salvador chooses its president, all 60 members of parliament and its municipal councils on one day, Sunday 28 February 2027, in a single round.
- —What happened On Wednesday 30 September the Supreme Electoral Tribunal formally called the 2027 general elections, La Página reported. The call opens candidate registration on Thursday 1 October.
- —Who is involved Five parties plan presidential tickets: Nuevas Ideas, the FMLN, ARENA, the PCN and the FPS. Four more run only for parliament and councils, El Mundo reported on 30 September.
- —What it means for you Presidential and parliamentary candidates file from 1 October to 19 November. The voter register closes on 29 December 2026, according to the tribunal’s calendar.
- —Still open Publication of the formal decree in the official gazette, and how many tickets survive the tribunal’s review, were not yet confirmed on 30 September.
El Salvador electoral court magistrates formally called the general elections of 28 February 2027 on Wednesday 30 September. The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), which organises and referees elections, made the call official, the Salvadoran outlet La Página reported.
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The step opens the 50-day window for presidential and parliamentary candidates, starting on Thursday 1 October. It follows the preview in El Salvador Election: Bukele and His Rivals Can Register From 1 October.
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What the formal call sets in motion
Candidates for president, vice-president and the 60 seats of the Legislative Assembly, the parliament, file with the tribunal until 19 November. Candidates for municipal councils file between 9 and 19 November.
Filing is not the same as being on the ballot, the newspaper elsalvador.com noted on 29 September. The calendar provides for review, correction of defects and then final registration or rejection.
Each candidate also needs a certificate from the Court of Accounts, the public audit body, showing no unpaid final judgments. Its president, Walter Sosa, promised certificates within eight days through a new online system, El Mundo reported.
The court accepts requests from 1 October to 11 November. The Electoral Code allows it up to 15 days per request.
Three campaign clocks
Campaigning is not allowed at once. Presidential candidates may campaign from 27 October, parliamentary candidates from 27 December and council candidates from 27 January.
All three windows close on 24 February 2027, four days before the vote. The voter register closes on 29 December 2026, according to the TSE calendar updated in July.
Who is expected on the ballot
No more than ten parties are expected to take part, El Mundo reported on 30 September. Five plan presidential tickets: Nuevas Ideas, the FMLN, ARENA, the National Coalition Party (PCN) and the Salvadoran Patriotic Fraternity (FPS).
Vamos, the Christian Democrats, GANA and Fuerza Solidaria will run only for parliament and councils. Democracia Salvadoreña held a primary call but published no results, the paper added.
President Nayib Bukele of Nuevas Ideas seeks a third consecutive term, for 2027 to 2033. A constitutional reform in July 2025 allowed indefinite re-election, scrapped the runoff and set six-year terms.
That reform also moved the presidential vote forward from 2029. His record is set out in Who Is Nayib Bukele? El Salvador’s President Explained.
How the challengers view the referee
The FMLN’s Rafael Aguirre told El Mundo he does not fully trust the tribunal, but did not back claims of fraud. He asked the TSE to admit observers from “any organisation” so suspicions can be dispelled or proven.
Orlando Delcid of the FPS said he trusts the tribunal, which he said fairly rejected his earlier attempt to found a party. ARENA’s Mayteé Iraheta said the elections follow current law but that “the process is the questionable part”.
What Is Not Yet Known
El Mundo reported that the call becomes formal only once a decree appears in the Diario Oficial, the official gazette. That publication could not be independently confirmed on 30 September, and the El Salvador electoral court website was down for maintenance.
It is also unclear how many tickets will clear review, and whether the tribunal will accredit independent observer missions.
Sources: Diario La Página, 30 September 2026; Diario El Mundo, 30 September 2026; Diario El Mundo on Court of Accounts certificates, 30 September 2026; elsalvador.com, 29 September 2026; Supreme Electoral Tribunal, Calendario Electoral 2027.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error
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