At Stake in this Election:
On 21 February 2024, Ecuadorians will vote on a series of proposed changes to the Constitution and criminal codes proposed by President Daniel NOBOA, who was elected in the snap election of 2023. The proposals would strengthen penalties and enforcement mechanisms related to certain violent and organized crimes. Ecuador has been under a state of emergency declaration since January 2024 in response to gang-related crime.
The following questions are on the ballot, and response options are “Yes” or “No”:
Do you agree to allow the Armed Forces’ supplementary assistance in National Police efforts to combat organized crime, thus partially modifying the Constitution according to Attachment 1?
Do you agree to allow the extradition of Ecuadorians, by the conditions, requirements, restrictions, and constraints established in the Constitution, international instruments, and the Law, amending the Constitution and modifying the law, according to Attachment 1?
Do you agree to establish special judiciaries focused on constitutional matters, in both the first and second circuit, for the knowledge of the jurisdictional guarantees corresponding to those circuits, amending the Constitution and modifying the Organic Law of Jurisdictional Guarantees and Constitutional Control, according to Attachment 2?
Do you agree that the Ecuadorian State recognizes international arbitration as a method to resolve controversies around investment, contractual, and commercial issues?
Do you agree to amend the Constitution of the Republic and reform the Labor Code for fixed-term and hourly labor contracts, when they are established for the first time between an employer and employee, without affecting the rights acquired by workers, according to Attachment 4?
Do you agree that the Armed Forces will engage in permanent arms, munitions, and explosives control operations on the highways, roads, routes, and corridors that provide authorized entry to social rehabilitation centers?
Do you agree to increase the penalties for the crimes of (i) terrorism and its financing, (ii) the production and illicit trafficking of substances subject to controls, (iii) organized crime, (iv) assassination, (v) contract killing, (vi) human trafficking, (vii) kidnapping for extorsion, (viii) arms trafficking, (ix) money laundering and (x) illicit mining activity, modifying the Organic Integral Penal Code according to the Attachment?
Do you agree that detained persons must serve the entirety of their sentence within a social rehabilitation center in the case of the crimes detailed in the Attachment, modifying the Organic Integral Penal Code according to the Attachment?
Do you agree with the establishment of the crime of possession of arms, munitions, or components whose use is restricted to the Armed Forces or National Police, not to affect firearms permitted for civilian use, modifying the Organic Integral Penal Code according to the Attachment?
Do you agree that weapons, their parts or components, explosives, munitions, or items that were instruments or material objects of a crime can be designated for immediate use by the National Police or Armed Forces, modifying the Organic Integral Penal Code according to the Attachment?
Do you agree that the State becomes the owner of goods of illicit or wrongful origin, simplifying the procedures of the Organic Law of Domain Extinction, according to the Attachment?
Government Structure:
- Chief of State: President Daniel NOBOA Azin (since 23 November 2023)
- Head of Government: President Daniel NOBOA Azin (since 23 November 2023)
- Assembly: unicameral National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional) with 137 seats
Electoral System:
- The President is directly elected by absolute majority vote in up to two rounds. The President may serve up to two 4-year terms.
- All 137 members of the National Assembly are directly elected and serve 4-year terms. Among them, 116 are elected by plurality vote in single-seat constituencies, 15 are elected by proportional representation vote in a single, nationwide constituency, and 6 are elected by plurality vote multi-seat constituencies representing Ecuadorians abroad.
Last Referendum:
On 5 February 2023, Ecuadorians rejected a series of constitutional amendments proposed by then-President Guillermo LASSO. Voter turnout was 81.69%.
Information for Voters:
Preguntas Referéndum y Consulta Popular 2024 / Referendum Questions 2024 (in Spanish)
Population and Registered Voters:
Gender Data:
Disability Data:
- CRPD Status: Signed 30 March 2007, Ratified 3 April 2008
- Projected population with a disability: 2,880,160 (2022 est.)
IFES Resources:
- Does IFES have a presence in Ecuador: No
- Election Access: Yes
- Election Judgements: Yes, 10 resources
Original Referendum Questions (in Spanish):
¿Está usted de acuerdo con que se permita el apoyo complementario de las Fuerzas Armadas en las funciones de la Policía Nacional para combatir el crimen organizado, reformando parcialmente la Constitución de conformidad con lo previsto en el Anexo 1?
¿Está usted de acuerdo con permitir la extradición de ecuatorianos, con las condiciones, requisitos, restricciones e impedimentos establecidos en la Constitución, los instrumentos internacionales y en la Ley, enmendando la Constitución y reformando las leyes, conforme el Anexo 1?
¿Está usted de acuerdo con el establecimiento de judicaturas especializadas en materia constitucional, tanto en primera como en segunda instancia, para el conocimiento de las garantías jurisdiccionales que les corresponda, enmendando la Constitución y reformando la Ley Orgánica de Garantías Jurisdiccionales y Control Constitucional, de acuerdo con el Anexo 2?
¿Está usted de acuerdo que el Estado ecuatoriano reconozca el arbitraje internacional como método para solucionar controversias en materia de inversión, contractuales o comerciales
¿Está usted de acuerdo con enmendar la Constitución de la República y reformar el Código de Trabajo para el contrato de trabajo a plazo fijo y por horas, cuando se celebre por primera vez entre el mismo empleador y trabajador, sin afectar los derechos adquiridos de los trabajadores, de acuerdo con el Anexo 4?
¿Está usted de acuerdo con que las Fuerzas Armadas realicen control de armas, municiones, explosivos y accesorios, permanentemente, en las rutas, caminos, vías y corredores autorizados para el ingreso a los centros de rehabilitación social?
¿Está usted de acuerdo con que se incrementen las penas de los delitos de: (i) terrorismo y su financiación, (ii) producción y tráfico ilícito de sustancias catalogadas sujetas a fiscalización, (iii) delincuencia organizada, (iv) asesinato, (v) sicariato, (vi) trata de personas, (vii) secuestro extorsivo, (viii) tráfico de armas, (ix) lavado de activos y (x) actividad ilícita de recursos mineros, reformando el Código Orgánico Integral Penal conforme el Anexo de la pregunta?
¿Está usted de acuerdo con que las personas privadas de la Libertad cumplan la totalidad de su pena dentro del centro de rehabilitación social en los delitos detallados en el Anexo de la pregunta, reformando el Código Orgánico Integral Penal conforme consta en el referido Anexo de la pregunta?
¿Está usted de acuerdo con que se tipifique el delito de tenencia o porte de armas, municiones o componentes que son de uso privativo de las Fuerzas Armadas o la Policía Nacional, sin afectar a las armas de fuego permitidas para uso civil, reformando el Código Orgánico Integral Penal conforme el Anexo de la pregunta?
¿Está usted de acuerdo con que las armas, sus partes o piezas, explosivos, municiones o accesorios que fueron instrumentos u objeto material de un delito, puedan destinarse al uso inmediato de la Policía Nacional o las Fuerzas Armadas, reformando el Código Orgánico Integral Penal conforme el Anexo de la pregunta?
¿Está usted de acuerdo con que el Estado proceda a ser el titular (propietario) de los bienes de origen ilícito o injustificado, simplificando el procedimiento de la Ley Orgánica de Extinción de Dominio, conforme el Anexo de la pregunta?
