Bolivian lawmaker proposes six electoral law changes; TSE seeks consensus

Bolivian legislator Juan Francisco Aramayo has put forward six proposed changes to the country's electoral laws. Two draft bills, presented to the Chamber of Deputies, aim to modify the Electoral Regime Law and the Electoral Body Law. Among the proposed changes are the implementation of biometric verification for voting, regulation of propaganda on social media, and a mandatory preliminary results system.

The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) has called for a consensus-based approach to any electoral reforms. TSE official Carlos Alberto Goitia stated that while various initiatives are being discussed in the legislature, none have emerged from a prior consensus-building process. He emphasized that any significant modifications to electoral regulations require broad agreement and careful consideration.

One significant proposed amendment to the Electoral Body Law involves establishing two distinct chambers within the TSE: an administrative electoral chamber and a jurisdictional electoral chamber. This division would allow for differentiated handling of electoral matters. Furthermore, the proposal seeks to exclude the Plurinational Constitutional Court (TCP) from resolving electoral disputes, aiming to prevent constitutional appeals from paralyzing electoral processes.

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This work is still in development and will take time to be presented and essentially socialized.

Regarding the Electoral Regime Law, Aramayo's proposals include removing the general prohibition on vehicle circulation during elections, though restrictions on the irregular transport of voters would remain. Another change mandates biometric verification at all polling stations to ensure voters are properly identified before casting their ballots. The proposals also introduce the principle of preclusion, to be managed by the future jurisdictional chamber of the TSE, with the Plenary Session making final decisions in case of disagreements.

Finally, the draft bills aim to formally integrate the "digital environment" into electoral propaganda regulations, specifically addressing social media. This includes establishing control mechanisms and requiring virtual platforms used for propaganda to be registered with the TSE. The official implementation of the Preliminary Electoral Results System (Sirepre) is also proposed, making its use mandatory in all elections, though its results would not hold legal validity, with official counts remaining definitive.

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there are various proposals in the Legislature, but all are collective versions, they are of a particular nature