Guatemala eases voting rules for its migrants in the U.S. for 2027 elections

Guatemalans residing in the United States will have greater flexibility when casting their ballots in the 2027 general elections. A recent agreement by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) allows them to vote at any authorized polling station abroad, irrespective of where they initially registered. This reform to the Regulation of Voting Abroad aims to simplify the process for the diaspora.

The updated regulation establishes a unique electoral roll for Guatemalans living overseas. While logistical divisions into constituencies or polling station lists will still exist, these will not prevent registered citizens from voting at any available center in the U.S., provided they are on the main electoral roll. The TSE will implement a verification system to ensure each person votes only once per election, maintaining the integrity of the process.

Migrants can register and identify themselves to vote using either their Guatemalan Personal Identification Document (DPI) or a valid Guatemalan passport. However, expatriates are only eligible to vote for the presidential and vice-presidential candidates of Guatemala. The TSE has set the official call for the general elections for January 22, 2027, with the first round of voting scheduled for June 27 and a potential second round on August 22.

In the 2023 general elections, a total of 1,433 Guatemalans participated in the vote across 17 centers in 15 U.S. cities. This figure represented an increase from the 734 voters in 2019. The new measures are expected to further boost participation from the significant Guatemalan population living in the United States.