Voting for these 2023 early elections has officially started in the three foreign constituencies. After 3 p.m. this Saturday, October 14, the authorities of the National Electoral Council (CNE) inaugurated the day of voting abroad for the second round, during which the president and vice-president of the Republic will be elected and the repetition will take place. .elections of national and foreign deputies.

The inauguration of the voting process for Ecuadorians registered abroad in the 97 electoral zones was led by Enrique Pita, vice president of the CNE. On this occasion, the vote will take place in person and not by telematic means, as was the case during the first round of voting, on August 20.

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In total, 409,250 Ecuadorians are registered in the three constituencies defined abroad: Europe, Asia and Oceania; Canada and the United States; and Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa. In these constituencies there are 574 polling councils with 2,870 members.

Pita highlighted the CNE’s ability to organize these early elections in such a short time and thanked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility for the help provided to organize the arrival of electoral materials, as well as to prepare the headquarters where voters will go. The electoral process will open at 9:00 a.m. and last until 7:00 p.m. this Sunday, October 15, depending on the time zone of each country.

The inauguration of voting abroad is the third point of the electoral calendar maintained by the CNE. The first point was the vote of people deprived of their liberty who do not have a conviction and the right to vote at home.

The Deputy Chairman of the Electoral Council regretted that due to logistical and political problems, elections would not take place in Israel, Russia, Belarus and Nicaragua.

“Going to vote, going to the polls is an obligation for all Ecuadorians. It is a duty that we all have, those who live abroad and those who live in the country, precisely towards our families and towards the future of our country. (…) Democracy invites us to participate in what is the most important decision we can face. Let it be clear, let it be a conscious, responsible and committed vote,” Pita said in his inaugural speech.

Immediately after the opening of the foreign voting process, the Special Foreigners Council met in extraordinary session to check the image repositories of the control and containment records of the foreign image database. (YO)