Paraguay Electoral Body Disclaims Assisted Voting Violations
PARAGUAY · POLITICS
Key Facts
- —The country Paraguay, a landlocked South American nation of about 6.8 million people, held municipal elections on Sunday.
- —What happened Reports and videos showed voters entering booths with companions despite apparently lacking visual or upper-limb disabilities.
- —Who is who The Tribunal Superior de Justicia Electoral (TSJE) runs elections; polling-station boards hold final authority at each table.
- —Why now Law No. 6,971/2022 restricts in-booth assistance to voters with visual or upper-limb disabilities, but the governing ANR said it would not comply with TSJE controls.
- —What it means for you Electoral disputes in Paraguay are handled by prosecutors, not the electoral court, which can delay resolution of contested local races.
- —Still open Suspected electoral crimes must be reported to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which has investigative authority the TSJE lacks.
Paraguay’s electoral authority says it cannot directly stop alleged assisted voting violations because polling-station boards, not the Tribunal Superior de Justicia Electoral (TSJE), hold final authority during voting. The statement came after Sunday’s municipal elections, when reports and videos showed voters entering booths with companions despite apparently having no visual or upper-limb disability.
Luis Alberto Mauro, director of Legal Advisory at the TSJE, told Última Hora that assisted voting is legally limited to people who are blind or cannot use their upper limbs. Unauthorized assistance, he said, may constitute an electoral offense.
The Legal Limits of Assisted Voting
Paraguay’s Electoral Code, Law No. 834/1996, was amended by Law No. 6,971/2022 to restrict in-booth assistance to voters with visual or upper-limb disabilities. Wheelchair use alone does not justify a companion inside the booth.
TSJE Resolution No. 148/2026 requires assistants to be registered, bars them from influencing the vote, and requires secrecy. Mauro said polling-station boards are autonomous under the Electoral Code and “do not obey orders from any electoral authority.”
Carlos María Ljubetic, TSJE director of Electoral Processes, confirmed that polling boards are the sole authority at each table and decide by majority whether an elector may enter accompanied. The TSJE, he said, cannot intervene at an individual table.
A Dispute Over Voter Freedom
The governing Asociación Nacional Republicana (ANR) announced it would not comply with the TSJE’s control and regulation of assisted voting. Opposition parties alleged the practice enables “induced voting,” while TSJE officials said unrestricted accompaniment threatens ballot secrecy and voter freedom.
The Organization of American States (OAS) observer mission reported “excessive” assisted voting in the 2023 general election. That finding has sharpened scrutiny of Sunday’s municipal contests.
About 6,000 people were registered for separate home voting, which requires prior application and verification by the TSJE and Ministry of Health. That programme is distinct from in-booth assistance and has its own safeguards.
Who Can Act on Alleged Violations
Suspected electoral crimes must be reported to the Public Prosecutor’s Office (Ministerio Público) or ordinary criminal courts. Prosecutors, not the TSJE, have investigative authority.
This division of responsibility means the electoral court can set rules and issue resolutions, but enforcement of criminal provisions falls outside its mandate. The TSJE’s role is administrative and regulatory, not prosecutorial.
For international observers and investors watching Paraguay’s institutional stability, the episode highlights a structural feature of the electoral system: local boards exercise significant discretion, and accountability for abuses runs through the criminal justice system rather than the electoral authority.
What Comes Next
Any formal complaints about Sunday’s assisted voting incidents will now move to the Ministerio Público. The speed and outcome of those cases will shape confidence in Paraguay’s electoral integrity ahead of future contests.
The TSJE has not announced new regulatory measures beyond Resolution No. 148/2026. For now, the burden of enforcement rests with prosecutors and the courts, while the electoral authority maintains that its hands are tied by the Electoral Code.
The dispute between the ANR and the TSJE over assisted voting controls remains unresolved, leaving open the question of whether legislative changes or judicial rulings will clarify the rules before the next election cycle.
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Who is allowed to assist a voter inside the booth in Paraguay?
Only voters with visual or upper-limb disabilities may be accompanied inside the booth, under Law No. 6,971/2022. Wheelchair use alone does not justify a companion.
Why can’t the TSJE stop assisted voting violations?
Polling-station boards are autonomous under the Electoral Code and do not obey orders from any electoral authority. Only prosecutors can act on suspected electoral crimes.
What did the OAS say about assisted voting in Paraguay?
The OAS observer mission reported “excessive” assisted voting in the 2023 general election, a finding that has drawn attention to the practice in subsequent contests.
Where should suspected electoral crimes be reported?
Suspected electoral crimes must be reported to the Public Prosecutor’s Office (Ministerio Público) or ordinary criminal courts, which have investigative authority.
Sources: ultimahora.com, tsje.gov.py, tsje.gov.py, abc.com.py, abc.com.py. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error