Through this space, follow the most relevant moments of election day when Salvadorans elect the Legislative Assembly, Parlacen and City Councils.
In a different scenario in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, El Salvador will celebrate municipal and parliamentary elections for the 2021-2024 period on February 28.
More than 5.3 million citizens are on the electoral roll. The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) has enabled 1,595 voting centers in the country and 8,451 Voting Receiving Boards (JRV) for this event.
READ ALSO: Seniors, the first to vote on February 28th
In this space you can follow the most relevant incidents of election day that started with some delay in some polling stations.
12:05 pm In Guaymango, Ahuachapán, some violence took place in the early morning hours before the voting tables were installed. One of them was played by Osiris Luna, Director General of Penal Centers and Deputy Minister of Justice, who was accused of forcibly entering the polling station along with other members of Nuevas Ideas and interfering with the JRV installation without being accredited. according to a video posted by 106.9 FM Radio on his Twitter account.
Party militants invade the polling station. Video from: @arpassv
12.00 Despite the ban on taking children to polling stations in light of COVID-19, it was noted that some citizens went to the polls accompanied by minors.
11:50 am New Ideas supporters and the candidate for Mayor of Santa Ana, Gustavo Acevedo, gave shirts with the candidate’s logo for the municipality to people attending the voting center at Rafael Álvarez Lalinde school.
New Ideas supporters hand out shirts referring to the mayoral candidate near a voting center. Photo / Jonatan Funes
11:45 amMembers of a Voting Receiving Board (JRV) of the Zacamil Kindergarten, in Mejicanos, stated that there was not enough equipment for them. In most JRVs there was only one table.
At the voting center installed at Zacamil Nursery School, in Mejicanos, it was reported that not all JRVs had received their work supplies. Photo: Menly Cortez
11:35 am Miguel Pereira, pursuing his re-election as Mayor of San Miguel by the FMLN, cast his vote in the Fe y Alegría center.
Photo: Jorge Reyes.
half past eleven The Charge d’Affaires of the US Embassy, Brendan O’Brien, visited the Concha Viuda de Escalón School Voting Center, reiterating that his government supports fair, transparent and peaceful elections. He insisted: “The election where all votes count is critical. What we want to see is patience in the process. Sometimes the results take time ”.
EDH Photo / Marvin Romero
11:20 am Attorney General Raúl Melara reported on the arrest of a suspect for electoral fraud in the department of La Unión. As indicated, it was a person who voted in a polling station where it was not his turn to vote.
Attorney General Raúl Melara upon his arrival at the polling station on Hipódromo Boulevard. Photo video recording
11.00 am complained the Salvadoran Joaquín López, because the ink on his fingers did not draw after 15 minutes. He reported the poor quality of the product.
The citizen denounced that despite the fact that they applied indelible ink, it did not affect his fingers. Photo: Óscar Iraheta
10:50 am International observers are reporting irregularities at the República Oriental de Uruguay School Center, in the Zacamil district, in Mejicanos. Representatives Adamaris Silva and Nancy Flores, of Mexico, indicated that police officers and polling station staff did not prioritize the voting of older adults and that they had received complaints about a political party spreading propaganda.
International observers Adamaris Silva and Nancy Flores, from Mexico, verify the election process outside the Centro Escolar República Oriental de Uruguay, in Mejicanos. Photo: Menly Cortez
10:50 am Deputy Margarita Escobar, seeking reelection through ARENA, voted in the Concha Viuda de Escalón School Center, but at the time of voting, they broke the corner of one of the ballots, for which she had to be canceled and gave her another vote.
Margarita Escobar, candidate for deputy for ARENA, will cast her vote on February 28, 2021. Photo EDH / Courtesy
10:40 am At the Romero Albergue School Center there are lines outside and within the electoral college. There were disagreements in some of the voting councils (JRV) to open the polls.
This is what the polling station facilities of the Arturo Albergue School Center in San Salvador looked like on the morning of February 28. Photo: Óscar Iraheta
10:30 am At the National Institute of Commerce (Inco) in Salvador, there were delays at the start of election day and physical distance was not respected.
Crowd of people in the corridors of the National Institute of Commerce (Inco), there was an hour delay in opening the polling station. The distance was not respected. Photo EDH / Óscar Iraheta
10:20 am Former presidential candidate Carlos Calleja arrived at the voting center on Hipódromo Boulevard: “Voting is the best tool for democracy.”
Carlos Calleja deposits the election ballots in their respective box. Photo Jessica Orellan
10:15 amGuaymango voters tear down the school gate for late opening.
10:10 am ARENA deputy Norman Quijano cast his vote in the voting center of the Sagrado Corazón School.
Courtesy photo
10:00 San Miguel mayor candidate for new ideas Will Salgado and his brother aspire to run for re-election as a GANA Numan deputy vote in municipal and parliamentary elections.
The Salgado brothers cast the vote at a voting center in San Miguel. Photo / Jorge Reyes
9:55 am. This was the atmosphere in the voting center on Hipódromo Boulevard, in San Salvador, where voters waited two hours for it to be possible.
The polling stations on Hipódromo Boulevard opened with a long delay, at about 9 am.
9.45 am The polling station on Hipódromo Boulevard in San Salvador opened two hours late to civilians.
9:30 am Ernesto Sanabria, press secretary for the El Salvador presidency, was reprimanded by the national civil police for violating electoral law and attempting to take a photo of his ballot paper.
Photo video recording
9:00 am Voters gathered at the Monseñor Romero Vocational Training Center, in Ciudad Arce, La Libertad.
8.45 am At the Juana López polling station, in Ciudad Delgado, there are no smears, so despite the COVID-19 pandemic, citizens had to access the old method of dipping their finger in indelible ink.
A voter dips his finger in the indelible ink for the lack of cotton swabs in the Juan López School Center’s voting center. Photo / Menly Cortez
8:30 amAt least 20 people who have completed JRV training at the Thomas Jefferson Voting Center in Sonsonate have not received any official credentials to settle.
7:30 am International observers are at the various voting centers.
7:20 am Some citizens were still waiting for the opening of voting centers.
7.15 am Older adults were the first to vote on February 28.
7:00 Most polling stations open their doors to eligible citizens to cast their votes, some delayed.
The Alejandro de Humboldt School Center, in Ahuachapán, opened 20 hours late. Since they do not admit all people, a disturbance has occurred in the entrance. This is mainly caused by those who do not want to respect social detachment. Photo EDH / Cristian Díaz