Members of 32 parties, 22 movements, and 214 alliances will go to the polls next Sunday, June 7, to choose the candidates who will run in the municipal elections on October 4, when 263 mayoral positions and 2,832 councilor seats across Paraguay will be decided for the 2026-2031 term.
The Superior Electoral Court (TSJE) reported that 4,338,716 voters are eligible to participate in the simultaneous primaries, although this number could exceed 4,460,000 due to new judicial rulings. Voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1,267 polling stations, with 13,031 voting tables.
This is the second time Paraguayan voters will be able to choose their municipal candidates using electronic voting machines and open lists. However, these are the first elections in which the reliability of this equipment is being so heavily questioned.
Asunción is the only district with 24 members on its Municipal Board. Another 150 districts have 12 members each, while 112 districts have 9 members each.
Who can vote? Only those registered in the national registry who are also affiliated with a political group. The ANR took legal action to prevent any political force from using the national registry in the primaries. Both the ANR and the PLRA have published their electoral rolls on their websites for voters to verify their information. Others registered in the National Registry will only be able to vote in the municipal elections on October 4.
The identity card, whether expired or valid, is the only document accepted to exercise the right to vote. Electronic IDs are not accepted. Young people who turn 18 before October 3 will be automatically registered in the Permanent Civic Registry (RCP) but will only be able to vote in the October municipal elections.
Unlike general elections, there will be no ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages on June 7, since voting in party primaries is not mandatory, according to Article 195 of the Electoral Code. However, electoral campaigning will be prohibited starting June 5, and the publication of polls banned from May 23, although the latter is largely ignored on social media due to lack of regulation.
The ruling party, ANR, will select its candidates for mayors and councilors nationwide. The PLRA, in addition to choosing its official candidates, will renew its internal presidency, leadership, and grassroots authorities across the country. About 30 political parties will also formalize their candidates, mostly through single-list systems, and 11 of them will renew their internal authorities.
To coordinate the process, the Electoral Justice will deploy 8,703 electoral agents, including departmental and regional coordinators, technical support staff, operators, and TSJE delegates. In total, 82,429 people will be mobilized nationwide, with ground transportation in most regions and air transport for contingencies.
The TSJE will also provide the Preliminary Electoral Results Transmission system (TREP) to the ANR and PLRA. Preliminary results are expected to be released around 8 p.m.