Candidate registration for Ecuador's 2026 sectional elections opens August 2

Ecuador's electoral calendar is set to begin with candidate registrations for the 2026 sectional elections on August 2. Political organizations will have until August 17 to submit their candidates electronically. However, the process is not a guarantee of participation, as a subsequent phase of objections and appeals could disqualify registered aspirants.

The National Electoral Council (CNE) will officially call for the elections on August 1. Voters will elect 23 provincial prefects, 222 municipal mayors, 909 urban councilors, 457 rural councilors, and 4,131 rural parish board members, along with their substitutes.

Parties and movements have already held their internal democracy processes between June 18 and July 2 to select pre-candidates. Despite this, some organizations have yet to announce their chosen candidates, and several individuals are being discussed as potential contenders without having participated in these internal selections.

The objection and appeal period runs from August 3 to August 27. Provincial electoral boards will handle initial objections, with decisions to be made by August 25. Appeals against these rulings can be taken to the Electoral Contentious Tribunal (TCE) until September 22. If the TCE overturns a candidate's registration, the political organization can replace them, but the new candidate must also go through the registration and objection process.