The Electoral Observation Mission (MOE) – a Colombian NGO which is one of three organizations monitoring the presidential election – reports on violations of procedure during the first four hours of voting.
According to the report only 73.2% of polling stations opened with the required six voting officials present, while only 79.6% of stations were equipped with the necessary voting equipment.
Full voting materials did not arrive in the village of Macayepo, located in the northern department of Bolivar.
In order to render the election more transparent, election officials were required to show an empty ballot box before the start of the voting process. According to MOE, this occurred in 90% of the monitored voting stations.
Polling stations were meant to be open from 8 AM to 4 PM. MOE found that in 13.5% of polling stations, booths were not opened at the correct time.
Election observers report that only 61.4% of stations have a judicial supervisor, to whom citizens may report any irregularities.
Only 7.7% of monitors have reported difficulties in completing their role as official observer.
The MOE has also already received reports of seventeen instances of armed action, occurring in the departments of Cauca (5), Antioquia (3), Choco (2), Meta (2), Nariño (2), Guaviare (1), Caqueta (1), and Valle del Cauca (1).
This compares to only ten reports of armed action that took place on the day of Colombia’s congressional elections on March 14.
The report is based on the observations of 72% of election monitors.
The MOE will be releasing reports on the progress of Colombia’s presidential election throughout the day.
