Paraguay Municipal Elections: 5 Million Voters Choose 263 Mayors on 4 October
POLITICS · PARAGUAY
Key Facts
- The country Paraguay, landlocked between Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia, is governed by President Santiago Peña of the Colorado Party (ANR) until 2028.
- What happened On Sunday 4 October 2026, 5,043,154 registered voters elect mayors and councils in all 263 districts, according to the electoral court (TSJE), as of September.
- Who is involved 630 mayoral candidates and 2,832 council seats, ABC Color reported from TSJE data on 26 September. The Colorados defend 163 of 261 mayoralties won in 2021 (ABC Color).
- What it means for you Only a physical identity card, valid or expired, is accepted at the polls (TSJE). Alcohol sales stop 12 hours before voting begins, ABC Color reported.
- Still open Turnout, which was 60.55 percent in 2021, and whether the opposition can win Asunción, where one published poll favours the Colorado candidate.
Paraguay municipal elections take place on Sunday 4 October, with 5,043,154 people registered to vote in all 263 districts. The electoral court, the Tribunal Superior de Justicia Electoral (TSJE), confirmed the date and began shipping voting machines on 27 September.
Voters choose a mayor and a local council in every district for the 2026–2031 term. It is the last nationwide vote before parties pick candidates for the 2028 general election.
What is on the ballot in the Paraguay municipal elections
According to TSJE figures reported by ABC Color and 1000 Noticias, 630 candidates are running for 263 mayoralties. Councils have 2,832 seats to fill, with an equal number of substitutes.
The court has prepared 14,711 voting tables, each with its own machine, plus 2,094 backup machines. Trucks, river boats and a standby helicopter carry them to remote districts first, then to Central department and the capital.
Voters mark their choice on a machine that prints a paper ballot with a chip. The paper is counted by hand at each table, and preliminary results arrive through the TREP transmission system on Sunday night.
A test for the Colorados before 2028
In 2021 the Colorado Party won 163 of the 261 mayoralties then in play, ABC Color and La Nación reported. The Liberal Party (PLRA) won 62 on its own and 15 more in alliances, by ABC Color’s count.
In the June 2026 party primaries, Honor Colorado, the faction of former president Horacio Cartes, beat rivals loyal to Mario Abdo, according to CELAG, a regional think tank. The Liberals also changed leadership: Alcides Riveros of Nuevo Liberalismo won the party presidency ahead of senator Ever Villalba, Última Hora reported.
A strong Colorado result would give Peña’s camp a stable base heading into 2028. A weak one, especially in the cities, would hand the divided opposition its first real momentum since 2023.
Asunción, the race to watch
The capital’s previous Colorado mayor, Óscar “Nenecho” Rodríguez, resigned in August 2025 amid corruption allegations, CELAG noted. The party now runs Camilo Pérez of Honor Colorado against Soledad Núñez, backed by the PLRA and allies.
A poll by Ati Snead Consultores, published by El Nacional on 17 September, gave Pérez 52.8 percent and Núñez 34.3 percent. The article did not state the sample size, fieldwork dates or margin of error, so the figures cannot be independently assessed.
Who is voting
Men make up 50.6 percent of the roll and women 49.4 percent, according to TSJE data in ABC Color. ABC Color counts about 1.36 million young voters, roughly 27 percent of the electorate.
Participation is the main unknown. In 2021 turnout was 60.55 percent, meaning almost four in ten registered voters stayed at home.
A home-voting programme will serve 599 people with severe mobility problems in 19 urban districts, ABC Color reported. For background on the country’s politics, see Paraguay Explained: The Country, Its Politics, Its Economy and What to Watch.
What Is Not Yet Known
Turnout and the count in the big cities will not be known until the TREP results arrive on Sunday night. Official district results follow in the days after.
It is also unclear how far a local result will shape the 2028 race. Party primaries for that election are expected in late 2027, and national candidacies are not yet settled.
More: Paraguay news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are Paraguay’s municipal elections?
Sunday 4 October 2026, across all 263 districts.
How many people can vote?
5,043,154 registered voters, according to the electoral court (TSJE).
What is at stake for the Colorado Party?
The Colorados defend 163 of the 261 mayoralties they won in 2021; 630 mayoral candidates are running.
What should voters bring?
Only a physical identity card, valid or expired, is accepted at the polls, and alcohol sales stop around the vote.
Sources: TSJE, 27 Sep 2026 · TSJE, 24 Sep 2026 · ABC Color, 26 Sep 2026 · ABC Color, 19 Sep 2026 · 1000 Noticias, 5 Sep 2026 · CELAG, Jul 2026 · El Nacional, 17 Sep 2026 · ABC Color, 17 Oct 2021 · La Nación, 12 Oct 2021 · Última Hora, 7 Jun 2026 · Wikipedia, 2021 turnout
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