How To Register To Vote In Colombian Elections From Abroad

The Colombian community in Arizona volition vote for representatives to the Senate, House of Representatives away and presidential consultations of Republic of colombia this Sun in Phoenix.

The consular headquarters in Los Angeles, which is the closest to Phoenix, organizes periodic visits and so that Colombians in Arizona tin access consular services. This Sunday, the reason for the visit volition be to allow Colombians to vote in the congressional elections and the inter-political party consultations of the different political coalitions.

Phoenix's just polling place volition open at 8 a.thou. and volition close at 4 p.m. at Interlingua school, located at 5107 North. Seventh St. (7th Street and Camelback Route).

According to the National Registry of Civil Status of Colombia, out of the near 5 million Colombians residing abroad, nigh 900,000 are eligible to vote from abroad. According to Alfonso Vélez Rivas, delegate general of Los Angeles, more than than 500 are eligible to vote in Arizona.

Citizens will but be able to vote if they nowadays their valid identification menu, either physical or electronic, and if their identification card is registered in Phoenix. Documents such equally passports or ID passwords will not be valid to vote.

What ballots are available to voters?

This Sunday, Colombians tin mark their vote on three electoral ballots.

To choose the representative for Colombians away for the Business firm of Representatives, Colombians must choose one of the iii bachelor ballots, which include an international constituency (brown ballot), an indigenous constituency (light-green ballot), or an Afro-descendant constituency (gray ballot).

For the Senate, voters tin choose the national constituency (dark blue ballot) or the ethnic constituency (pinkish ballot).

In add-on, they volition exist able to participate in the presidential consultation of the parties and elect a candidate from 1 of the iii political coalitions.

According to Vélez, voters should continue in listen that this Lord's day they will be offered the ballots to vote for the Senate and the House, only each voter must ask the voting staff for the election of the presidential consultation for which they wish to vote.

"According to the guidelines that are in place, staff members are not authorized to express that to the voter," Vélez said. "The voter is the ane who must ask the staff to give him one of the three ballots. The 1 he chooses, the one he prefers; but they must do it as a voter."

The 3 coalitions and their candidates are:

Equipo por Colombia (low-cal blue ballot): Aydeé Lizarazo (MIRA), Alex Char (País de Oportunidades), David Barguil (Partido Conservador), Enrique Peñalosa (Partido de la U) and Fico Gutiérrez (Creemos Colombia).

Coalición Centro Esperanza (lite green election): Juan Manuel Galán Pachón (Nuevo Liberalismo), Sergio Fajardo (ASI), Jorge Enrique Robledo (Dignidad), Carlos Andrés Amaya (Dignidad) and Alejandro Gaviria (Colombia tiene Futuro).

Pacto Histórico (orange ballot): Gustavo Petro (Republic of colombia Humana y Upwardly), Francia Márquez Mina (Polo Democrático Alternativo), Camilo Romero (Verdes por el Cambio), Arelis Urina (MAIS) and Alfredo Saade (ADA).

The three winners of the interparty consultations will join the candidates Rodolfo Hernández, Ingrid Betancourt and Óscar Iván Zuluaga to participate in the presidential elections in May.

If the voter is concerned they might forget who they want to vote for, citizens are allowed to behave an assistance, which according to regulations must exist no larger than 10 cm by 5.five cm, in which the voter can write downward the party, movement, group or candidate for whom they will vote.

This retentivity aid must be carried in a not-visible identify and can but be pulled out at the time of voting.

The use of cellphones in or near the ballot box is prohibited.

Recommendations for Colombian voters

Olga Zapata, leader of the Colombian community in Arizona, said in other cities like Los Angeles, Miami or New York in which the election process started on March 7, in that location was some confusion among citizens. Zapata gave advice to help the community set up to vote Sunday.

Verify where their ID is registered: Citizens can check where their ID is registered through the National Registry website at https://eleccioncolombia.registraduria.gov.co/censo/consultar/.
Know how to vote correctly: "Report the voting mechanism well," Zapata said. "Information technology is extremely of import that people know how to vote to prevent their vote from being annulled or invalidated." The voter must mark with an X the box with their preferred candidate and political party. General recommendations include not marking anything outside the box for the candidateor list that the voter wants to marking, keeping in listen that by marking more than 1 list the vote will be annulled.
Bring their ID: Zapata recommended that citizens accept their citizenship ID ready equally it is the only valid document to vote.
Know the voting hours: Zapata stressed that later four p.m. the polling station will close and volition not accept any more votes.
Bring their own pen: Zapata clarified that it can be a good thing for the voter to bring their own pen and know that it is appropriate not to employ markers since the ink can pass through, causing the vote to be annulled.

Zapata besides reminded Colombians that although the term to register their denizen ID for the congressional elections expired in January, Colombians are invited to register their identity bill of fare for the presidential elections, which will take place on May 29.

Colombians in Arizona will be able to register their ID until March 29 through the Info Votantes cellphone application, or they tin also do it in person at the Los Angeles consulate.

Reach breaking news reporter Laura Daniella Sepulveda at lsepulveda@lavozarizona.com or on Twitter @lauradNews.

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