Carlos Ariel Sanchez Torres, Colombia’s national registrar, told Caracol Radio that despite ongoing investigations into alleged links between political candidates and paramilitary organizations, he doesn’t expect to see a decrease in voter turnout for Sunday’s congressional elections.
The registrar and police force both announced on Thursday that their organizations are fully prepared for the upcoming elections.
Torres said that international observers from the Organization of American States (OAS) will be present to observe the voting processes.
The registrar said that Colombian electoral officials who do not show up to their assigned stations on Sunday to monitor the election will be fined ten times the minimum monthly salary, approximately $2,500.
A police press release says that they have finalized their strategy to guarantee security at polling stations.
According to the press release, over 151,000 soldiers have been called up to provide security across the country.
This is the first time that such tight security measures have been implemented in a Colombian election. The measures constitute part of the ministry’s “Democracy Plan,” which aims to help voters participate safely in the election process.
