IFES Election Guide | Country Profile: Guatemala

Republic of Guatemala

17,577,842
Population (as of Feb. 8, 2019)

9,361,068
Registered Voters (as of Aug. 20, 2023)

56.94%
Average Turnout

19
Elections in our database

V-Dem* Score: 0.597
Regimes of the World Classification: Electoral Democracy
*Varieties of Democracy Electoral Democracy Index (2024)

CEDAW Status: Signed and Ratified
Signed Date: June 8, 1981
Ratified Date: Aug. 12, 1982

SIGI* Score: 25.7
Level of Discrimination: Low
*Social Institutions and Gender Index (2023)

CRPD Status: Signed and Ratified
Signed Date: March 30, 2007
Ratified Date: April 7, 2009

HDI* Score: 0.662
Category: Medium
*UNDP Human Development Index (2023)

Name	Official Name	Type
Guatemalan Presidency	None	Head of State & Government
Guatemalan Congress of the Republic	Congreso de la Republica	Assembly

Description of government structure:

Chief of State: President César ARÉVALO DE LÉON (since 14 January 2024)
Head of Government: President César ARÉVALO DE LÉON (since 14 January 2024)
Assembly: Guatemala has a unicameral Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la Republica) with 158 seats.

Description of electoral system:

The President is elected by absolute majority vote through a two-round system to serve a 4-year term.
In the Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la Republica) 158 members are elected through a closed-list proportional representation system to serve 4-year terms. Of the 158 members, 127 are departmental-level representatives selected through 22 departmental lists; 31 are national-level representatives selected in one, nationwide district. Votes are tabulated using the D'Hondt method.

Elections

2023-08-20 | Status: Held
Guatemalan Presidency
Votes 4,208,985
Registered 9,361,068
Turnout 44.96

2023-06-25 | Status: Held
Guatemalan Congress of the Republic
Votes 5,543,923
Registered 9,361,068
Turnout 59.22

2023-06-25 | Status: Held
Guatemalan Presidency
Votes 5,565,598
Registered 9,361,068
Turnout 59.45

2019-08-11 | Status: Held
Guatemalan Presidency
Votes 3,476,758
Registered 8,150,221
Turnout 42.66

2019-06-16 | Status: Held
Guatemalan Presidency
Votes 5,066,479
Registered 8,150,221
Turnout 62.16

2019-06-16 | Status: Held
Guatemalan Congress of the Republic
Votes 5,066,479
Registered 8,150,221
Turnout 62.16

2018-04-15 | Status: Held
Referendum
Votes 2,004,729
Registered 7,522,920
Turnout 26.65

2015-10-25 | Status: Held
Guatemalan Presidency
Votes 4,255,875
Registered 7,556,873
Turnout 56.32

2015-09-06 | Status: Held
Guatemalan Presidency
Votes 5,390,005
Registered 7,556,873
Turnout 71.33

2015-09-06 | Status: Held
Guatemalan Congress of the Republic
Votes 5,371,900
Registered 7,556,879
Turnout 71.09

2011-11-06 | Status: Held
Guatemalan Presidency
Votes 4,465,118
Registered 7,340,841
Turnout 60.83

2011-09-11 | Status: Held
Guatemalan Congress of the Republic
Votes 5,090,030
Registered 7,340,841
Turnout 69.34

2011-09-11 | Status: Held
Guatemalan Presidency
Votes 5,093,230
Registered 7,340,841
Turnout 69.38

2007-11-04 | Status: Held
Guatemalan Presidency
Votes 2,884,715
Registered 5,990,029
Turnout 48.16

2007-09-09 | Status: Held
Guatemalan Congress of the Republic
Votes 3,621,852
Registered 5,990,031
Turnout 60.46

2007-09-09 | Status: Held
Guatemalan Presidency
Votes 3,621,852
Registered 5,990,029
Turnout 60.46

2003-12-28 | Status: Held
Guatemalan Presidency
Votes 2,373,469
Registered 5,073,282
Turnout 46.78

2003-11-09 | Status: Held
Guatemalan Congress of the Republic
Votes 2,764,965
Registered 5,073,282
Turnout 54.5

2003-11-09 | Status: Held
Guatemalan Presidency
Votes 2,836,671
Registered 5,073,282
Turnout 55.91

Election For	Date	Status	Votes	Registered Voters	Turnout
Guatemalan Presidency	2023-08-20	Held	4,208,985	9,361,068	44.96
Guatemalan Congress of the Republic	2023-06-25	Held	5,543,923	9,361,068	59.22
Guatemalan Presidency	2023-06-25	Held	5,565,598	9,361,068	59.45
Guatemalan Presidency	2019-08-11	Held	3,476,758	8,150,221	42.66
Guatemalan Presidency	2019-06-16	Held	5,066,479	8,150,221	62.16
Guatemalan Congress of the Republic	2019-06-16	Held	5,066,479	8,150,221	62.16
Referendum	2018-04-15	Held	2,004,729	7,522,920	26.65
Guatemalan Presidency	2015-10-25	Held	4,255,875	7,556,873	56.32
Guatemalan Presidency	2015-09-06	Held	5,390,005	7,556,873	71.33
Guatemalan Congress of the Republic	2015-09-06	Held	5,371,900	7,556,879	71.09
Guatemalan Presidency	2011-11-06	Held	4,465,118	7,340,841	60.83
Guatemalan Congress of the Republic	2011-09-11	Held	5,090,030	7,340,841	69.34
Guatemalan Presidency	2011-09-11	Held	5,093,230	7,340,841	69.38
Guatemalan Presidency	2007-11-04	Held	2,884,715	5,990,029	48.16
Guatemalan Congress of the Republic	2007-09-09	Held	3,621,852	5,990,031	60.46
Guatemalan Presidency	2007-09-09	Held	3,621,852	5,990,029	60.46
Guatemalan Presidency	2003-12-28	Held	2,373,469	5,073,282	46.78
Guatemalan Congress of the Republic	2003-11-09	Held	2,764,965	5,073,282	54.5
Guatemalan Presidency	2003-11-09	Held	2,836,671	5,073,282	55.91

Voter Turnout

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