IFES Election Guide | Country Profile: Colombia

Republic of Colombia

52,321,150
Population (as of Jan. 1, 2023)

39,002,239
Registered Voters (as of None)

46.02%
Average Turnout

26
Elections in our database

V-Dem* Score: 0.701
Regimes of the World Classification: Electoral Democracy
*Varieties of Democracy Electoral Democracy Index (2024)

CEDAW Status: Signed and Ratified
Signed Date: July 17, 1980
Ratified Date: Jan. 19, 1982

SIGI* Score: 23.5
Level of Discrimination: Low
*Social Institutions and Gender Index (2023)

CRPD Status: Signed and Ratified
Signed Date: March 30, 2007
Ratified Date: May 10, 2011

HDI* Score: 0.788
Category: High
*UNDP Human Development Index (2023)

Name	Official Name	Type
Colombian Presidency	None	Head of State & Government
Colombian Senate	Senado	Upper House
Colombian House of Representatives	Camara de Representantes	Lower House

Description of government structure:

Chief of State: President Gustavo PETRO Urrego (since 7 August 2022)
Head of Government: President Gustavo PETRO Urrego (since 7 August 2022)
Assembly: bicameral Congress (Congreso) consisting of the Senate (Senado) with 102 seats and the House of Representatives (Camara de Representantes) with 166 seats

Description of electoral system:

The President of Colombia is directly elected using a two-round majoritarian system, in which a runoff election is held between the top two candidates should no one receive a majority during the first iteration of voting. The President may serve only one 4-year term.
The Chamber of Representatives (Cámara de Representantes) consists of 188 seats, of which 161 “ordinary” seats will be contested by political parties from within 33 multi-member districts.** These seats will be allocated using list proportional representation, with remaining seats being allocated on the basis of greatest remainders. All members serve 4-year terms.
The Senate (Senado) will consist of 108 seats, of which 102 will be directly elected.*** Elections for 100 of these seats will occur in a single national constituency, while the remaining two seats will be decided in a special national constituency limited to indigenous communities. Both constituencies will use list proportional representation, with remaining seats being allocated on the basis of greatest remainders. All members serve 4-year terms.[4]

**An additional five seats are reserved for members of the People’s Alternative Revolutionary Force (FARC) exclusively for the 2018 and 2022 elections as a result of the 2016 Colombian peace process. One seat is reserved for the runner-up vice-presidential candidate. Another two seats are reserved for the Afro-descendant communities, one seat is reserved for the Special Indigenous Circumscription, one seat is reserved Colombians residing abroad, and finally – pending regulation – one seat may be reserved for a Raizal candidate from San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina. Finally, sixteen seats of the Special Transitory Circumscriptions of Peace will also be elected for the first time. [5],[6]

***An additional five seats are reserved for FARC representatives (see above), with an additional non-FARC seat reserved for the runner-up presidential candidate.

Elections

2022-06-19 | Status: Held
Colombian Presidency
Votes 22,658,694
Registered 39,002,239
Turnout 58.1

2022-05-29 | Status: Held
Colombian Presidency
Votes 21,418,631
Registered 39,002,239
Turnout 54.92

2022-03-13 | Status: Held
Colombian Senate
Votes 17,530,841
Registered 38,819,901
Turnout 45.16

2022-03-13 | Status: Held
Colombian House of Representatives
Votes 17,526,386
Registered 38,819,901
Turnout 45.15

2018-06-17 | Status: Held
Colombian Presidency
Votes 19,511,168
Registered 36,783,940
Turnout 53.04

2018-05-27 | Status: Held
Colombian Presidency
Votes 19,636,714
Registered 36,783,940
Turnout 53.38

2018-03-11 | Status: Held
Colombian Senate
Votes 17,818,185
Registered 36,493,318
Turnout 48.83

2018-03-11 | Status: Held
Colombian House of Representatives
Votes 17,872,988
Registered 36,493,318
Turnout 48.98

2016-10-02 | Status: Held
Referendum
Votes 13,066,047
Registered 34,899,945
Turnout 37.44

2014-06-15 | Status: Held
Colombian Presidency
Votes 15,794,940
Registered 32,975,158
Turnout 47.9

2014-05-25 | Status: Held
Colombian Presidency
Votes 13,216,402
Registered 32,975,158
Turnout 40.08

2014-03-09 | Status: Held
Colombian House of Representatives
Votes 14,309,641
Registered 32,835,856
Turnout 43.58

2014-03-09 | Status: Held
Colombian Senate
Votes 14,310,367
Registered 32,835,856
Turnout 43.58

2010-06-20 | Status: Held
Colombian Presidency
Votes 13,337,658
Registered 29,983,279
Turnout 44.48

2010-05-30 | Status: Held
Colombian Presidency
Votes 14,781,020
Registered 29,983,279
Turnout 49.3

2010-03-14 | Status: Held
Colombian Senate
Votes 13,203,762
Registered 29,853,299
Turnout 44.23

2010-03-14 | Status: Held
Colombian House of Representatives
Votes 13,061,735
Registered 29,853,299
Turnout 43.75

2006-05-28 | Status: Held
Colombian Presidency
Votes 12,041,737
Registered 26,731,700
Turnout 45.05

2006-03-12 | Status: Held
Colombian Senate
Votes 10,780,668
Registered 26,595,171
Turnout 40.54

2006-03-12 | Status: Held
Colombian House of Representatives
Votes 10,767,726
Registered 26,595,171
Turnout 40.49

2003-10-25 | Status: Held
Referendum
Votes 6,673,050
Registered 25,069,773
Turnout 26.62

2002-05-26 | Status: Held
Colombian Presidency
Votes 11,244,288
Registered 24,208,150
Turnout 46.45

2002-03-10 | Status: Held
Colombian House of Representatives
Votes 10,188,929
Registered 24,000,636
Turnout 42.45

2002-03-10 | Status: Held
Colombian Senate
Votes 10,188,929
Registered 24,000,636
Turnout 42.45

1998-06-21 | Status: Held
Colombian Presidency
Votes 12,310,107
Registered 20,857,801
Turnout 59.02

1998-05-31 | Status: Held
Colombian Presidency
Votes 10,751,465
Registered 20,856,150
Turnout 51.55

Election For	Date	Status	Votes	Registered Voters	Turnout
Colombian Presidency	2022-06-19	Held	22,658,694	39,002,239	58.1
Colombian Presidency	2022-05-29	Held	21,418,631	39,002,239	54.92
Colombian Senate	2022-03-13	Held	17,530,841	38,819,901	45.16
Colombian House of Representatives	2022-03-13	Held	17,526,386	38,819,901	45.15
Colombian Presidency	2018-06-17	Held	19,511,168	36,783,940	53.04
Colombian Presidency	2018-05-27	Held	19,636,714	36,783,940	53.38
Colombian Senate	2018-03-11	Held	17,818,185	36,493,318	48.83
Colombian House of Representatives	2018-03-11	Held	17,872,988	36,493,318	48.98
Referendum	2016-10-02	Held	13,066,047	34,899,945	37.44
Colombian Presidency	2014-06-15	Held	15,794,940	32,975,158	47.9
Colombian Presidency	2014-05-25	Held	13,216,402	32,975,158	40.08
Colombian House of Representatives	2014-03-09	Held	14,309,641	32,835,856	43.58
Colombian Senate	2014-03-09	Held	14,310,367	32,835,856	43.58
Colombian Presidency	2010-06-20	Held	13,337,658	29,983,279	44.48
Colombian Presidency	2010-05-30	Held	14,781,020	29,983,279	49.3
Colombian Senate	2010-03-14	Held	13,203,762	29,853,299	44.23
Colombian House of Representatives	2010-03-14	Held	13,061,735	29,853,299	43.75
Colombian Presidency	2006-05-28	Held	12,041,737	26,731,700	45.05
Colombian Senate	2006-03-12	Held	10,780,668	26,595,171	40.54
Colombian House of Representatives	2006-03-12	Held	10,767,726	26,595,171	40.49
Referendum	2003-10-25	Held	6,673,050	25,069,773	26.62
Colombian Presidency	2002-05-26	Held	11,244,288	24,208,150	46.45
Colombian House of Representatives	2002-03-10	Held	10,188,929	24,000,636	42.45
Colombian Senate	2002-03-10	Held	10,188,929	24,000,636	42.45
Colombian Presidency	1998-06-21	Held	12,310,107	20,857,801	59.02
Colombian Presidency	1998-05-31	Held	10,751,465	20,856,150	51.55

Voter Turnout

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