Guide: 2014 Elections in the Americas

Though Haiti’s president set a fall election date for legislative and municipal elections, disagreements in the country’s National Assembly could mean further delays for the vote. Postponed since 2011, Haiti’s elections are needed not only to renew expiring seats at the local and national level, but also to address concerns about balance of power and unease from international partners. Should the vote move ahead, Haitians will elect 20 senators, 99 deputies, and 140 municipal positions. 

On June 10, Haiti’s President Michel Martelly issued a decree to hold the elections on October 26. This date came as a result of the so-called El Rancho Accord, made after a series of talks among political parties, politicians, and members of the church and civil society earlier this year. But the accord awaits the parliament’s approval, which could prove difficult.

Currently, the Senate remains deadlocked on the accord. Some legislators disagree with Article 12, which allows elections to move ahead even if parliament does not sign the new electoral law within 10 days of the agreement. Opponents of the accord say this allows the president to skirt legislative approval to hold the vote. Plus, Senate President Simon Desras claims Martelly has had disproportionate influence in appointing members of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), which will carry out the election.

Indeed, disagreements about the CEP, an independent body in charge of elections, have kept elections from advancing. The rift dates back to a 2010 constitutional reform adopted two years later that changed how council members would be chosen. Each of the three government branches—the executive branch, the Supreme Court, and the National Assembly—could now nominate three members to the CEP. Previously, Article 289 of the Constitution mandated a set of nine civil institutions to make the appointments. Some parliament members say the CEP created by the El Rancho Accord should follow the original constitutional provision instead of empowering the three branches of government.

The elections are critical given the state of the National Assembly and local governments. The 30-seat Senate is functioning without a third of its members, as 10 senatorial seats expired in January 2012. As a result, the upper house has been unable to reach quorum for the past two years. Also in 2012, the terms of about 130 mayors—all the municipal offices in the country—expired. To replace these local leaders, Martelly appointed “municipal agents” in their stead, raising questions about the executive branch’s power in the absence of elections. In 2015, another 10 senators’ terms will expire, as will the terms of all 99 deputies in the lower house. If elections are not held by the end of this year, only 10 senators will be left in the entire National Assembly, and Martelly would rule by decree.

In addition, international partners have expressed concern about the delayed vote. In January 2013, the top United Nations official in Haiti urged the country to carry out elections by the end of that year, and last April, the United States warned it could withhold $300 million in aid unless the vote takes place.

June marked a decisive month ahead of Brazil’s October 5 presidential vote. Polls showed that President Dilma Rousseff has lost some ground among prospective voters while her main opponent gained ground and the number of undecided voters rose. And while the president leads voter intention, surveys show she may be unable to avoid a second round. Plus, June 30 marked the deadline for Brazilian political parties to officially select candidates to support and to form coalitions with other parties. Rousseff has the support of eight parties including her own as the Worker’s Party (PT) candidate, while Aécio Neves represents the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSBD) with the support of eight total parties, including his own. Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) candidate Eduardo Campos is backed by five parties. 

A CNI-Ibope poll published June 19 places Rousseff with 39 percent, down one point since last month. Neves came in second with 21 percent of the vote, up one point from the previous month, and Campos was third at 10 percent. A survey conducted by Instituto Sensus also shows a drop in votes for the president from 34 percent in April to 32.2 percent in June. Neves scored 21.4 percent, up 1.5 points since April, while Campos dropped to 7.5 percent from 8.3 percent. 

On the other hand, a June 6 Datafolha poll showed all three candidates lose vote shares since May. The survey indicates the president leads with 34 percent of the vote, going down three points since May. Runner-up Neves had 19 percent, a point less than in May, and Campos had 7 percent—losing 4 points. At the same time, the number of undecided voters rose from 8 percent to 13 percent, while null and blank votes rose from 16 percent to 17 percent. 

Polls show Rousseff would win a second-round vote against all other contenders, though with a smaller margin than in previous surveys. Ibope shows Rousseff winning against Neves with a 13-point difference, down from 20 points in May. Instituto Census puts the two only 5.1 points apart, down from 6.1 points from April.

President Juan Manuel Santos comfortably won Colombia's runoff vote by more than 5 percent on June 15. Given the candidates' disagreement over negotiations with rebel groups, the second-round vote was viewed as a referendum on the current administration's handling of peace talks. Santos' second term begins August 7 and his government's challenge will be concluding the negotiations. 

Learn more about the race and get highlights from today's vote.

AS/COA Coverage:

• Prior to today's vote, conflicting poll results left who would win in doubt. 
• Writing for U.S. News & World Report, AS/COA's Adriana La Rotta explained that a top challenge for Santos and Zuluaga involved battling voter apathy, as well as the role of the peace talks and corruption allegations in the election.
• Despite his win today, Santos lost to Zuluaga in May's first round, which included five main candidates.
• An AS/COA infographic covers Colombia's elections by the numbers.