Ecuador to Rent Generators for 29 November Local Vote Amid Power Strain
ECUADOR · ELECTIONS
Key Facts
- —The country Ecuador, an Andean nation of about 18 million people, gets most of its electricity from hydropower dams. When rivers run low, the grid struggles.
- —The background In April 2024 Ecuador held a referendum while blackouts lasted several hours a day. President Daniel Noboa ordered no power cuts on voting day to protect the count.
- —Why now The dry season is draining the reservoirs again. On 1 October, the Mazar reservoir stood 21.5 metres below its maximum level.
- —What happened José Cabrera, president of the National Electoral Council (CNE), said on 1 October it plans to rent generators and buy backup power units for the 29 November vote.
- —The numbers More than 13.8 million voters will elect 23 provincial prefects, 222 mayors, councillors, 4,131 rural parish board members and seven members of a citizen oversight council.
- —What it means for you The election date does not change. The backup power is meant mainly for the provincial offices where votes are counted.
- —Still open How severe the dry season will be by late November, and whether the government again orders no power cuts on voting day.
Ecuador’s electoral authority plans to rent generators for the local elections on 29 November, fearing power cuts during the vote count. The dry season is again lowering the rivers that feed the country’s main hydropower plants.
The National Electoral Council (CNE) also intends to buy uninterruptible power supply units, known as UPS. Its president, José Cabrera, announced the plan on 1 October.
What the CNE plans
The equipment will go mainly to the CNE’s provincial delegations, Cabrera said. After polls close, those offices become the centre of the counting and tallying of votes.
He made the announcement during the draw that set the order of candidates on the ballot for the citizen oversight council. The CNE is also talking to the electricity companies to reduce the risk on election day, the news site Primicias reported.
Cabrera recalled that this would not be the first vote held under the threat of power cuts. The CNE says it will add further backup measures in case supply fails.
Why power is a risk again
Ecuador depends heavily on hydropower, and the country is in its estiaje, the season of low river flows. The government has extended to 72 hours the emergency disconnection of the largest industrial power users.
On 1 October, the Mazar reservoir, the main store of the Paute hydropower complex, stood at 2,131.5 metres above sea level. That is 21.5 metres below its maximum of 2,153 metres, Teleamazonas reported.
The Coca Codo Sinclair plant, the country’s largest, produced about 690 megawatts on average between midnight and 11 a.m. that day. Its river carried about 166 cubic metres of water a second.
Rationing has already reached two container ports in Guayaquil, as The Rio Times reported on 1 October.
Which vote this is
The 29 November election chooses Ecuador’s local governments and members of the Council for Citizen Participation and Social Control (CPCCS). That council takes part in selecting senior oversight officials.
The local elections were first scheduled for 14 February 2027. On 27 March the CNE moved them forward, citing the risk of heavy rain and floods from El Niño early next year.
Voters will elect 23 provincial prefects and their deputies, 222 mayors and 1,366 urban and rural councillors. They also choose 4,131 rural parish board members and seven CPCCS members.
Of more than 53,000 candidacies registered, 46,727 had been confirmed by 1 October, Cabrera said. The campaign runs from 12 to 26 November.
What comes next
Printing of the CPCCS ballots, with 65 candidates, starts on Monday, 5 October. Provincial ballots follow once each province has confirmed all its candidates.
Renting generators does not mean blackouts on voting day are expected. It is insurance for the count, the step most exposed to a power failure.
The underlying problem is not new, and it is not solved. Until Ecuador adds generation that does not depend on rain, each dry season will raise the same question.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are Ecuador’s next elections?
Ecuador holds local elections and a vote for the citizen oversight council (CPCCS) on Sunday, 29 November 2026. More than 13.8 million people are called to vote.
Why does Ecuador have power cuts?
Most of Ecuador’s electricity comes from hydropower dams. In the dry season river flows fall, and the government rations power, starting with large industrial users.
Will power cuts affect the vote?
The electoral council plans to rent generators and buy backup power units for the offices where votes are counted. In 2024 the government ordered no power cuts on a referendum day.
Why were the elections moved to November?
They were first set for 14 February 2027. The electoral council brought them forward in March 2026 because of the risk of heavy rain and floods from El Niño.
Sources: Teleamazonas, 1 October 2026, Primicias, 1 October 2026, Vistazo/EFE, CNE calls the elections, 31 July 2026, Expreso, election moved forward, 30 March 2026. All retrieved 2 October 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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