Colombian regional and municipal elections, 2015

The 2015 Colombian regional and municipal elections were held on Sunday, 25 October 2015 in Colombia to elect the governors of the 32 departments, deputies to departmental assemblies, mayors of 1,102 municipalities, municipal councillors and aldermen on local administrative boards (Juntas Administrativas Locales, JAL).

Electoral systems

The governors of Colombia's 32 departments are elected to a single four-year term by first-past-the-post. The governor is considered the head of the local administration, but also the president's agent in the department to maintain public order and implement national policies.^[1] Each department has a departmental assembly (asamblea departamental), with between 11 and 31 members depending on the department's population,^[2] whose members are elected using the same electoral system as that used for congressional elections - namely, optional open party-list proportional representation with the threshold being equal to half of the electoral quotient. Political parties choose whether their lists are 'preferential' (open) or 'non-preferential' (closed). Candidates on the party's open list are reordered based on the results, although votes cast only for the party rather than a candidate only count for purposes of seat allocation between parties.

The mayors of Colombia's 1,102 municipalities are elected to single four-year term by first-past-the-post. The mayor is the head of the local administrative and the legal representative of the municipality.^[3] Each municipality has a municipal council (consejo municipal) made up of 7 to 21 members depending on the municipality's population. Municipal councillors are elected using the same electoral system used for departmental assemblies.^[4]

Municipalities may be further subdivide themselves into comunas (in urban areas) and corregimientos municipales (in rural areas) which are administered by a local administrative board (Juntas Administrativas Locales, JAL).

Bogotá, the capital, has a special constitutional status as Capital District. Despite being the capital of Cundinamarca department, the government of Cundinamarca has no authority over Bogotá's territory and the city's inhabitants do not vote for the governor of Cundinamarca. While Bogotá is counted as a municipality, it has the powers of both departments and municipalities. The capital is administered by a directly-elected Superior Mayor (Alcalde mayor) and has a 45-member council, both serving four-year terms. Bogotá is subdivided into 20 localities (localidades) each with their own JAL of at least 7 members and a local mayor appointed by the superior mayor from a list submitted by the JAL.^[5]

Mayors and governors may not serve consecutive terms, but may be reelected to non-consecutive terms. Members of assemblies, councils and local administrative boards have no term limits.

Mayoral elections

Bogotá

• Population: 7,878,783 (2015 est.)
• Incumbent mayor: Gustavo Petro (Prog.)

Candidates

• Enrique Peñalosa: former Superior Mayor of Bogotá (1998–2000), former Representative for Bogotá (1990–1992). 2014 Green Alliance presidential candidate. Independent candidate supported by Radical Change.
• Rafael Pardo: former Minister of Labour (2011–2014), former interim Superior Mayor of Bogotá (2014), former Minister of Defence (1991–1994). 2010 Liberal presidential candidate. Candidate of the Liberal Party and the Party of the U.
• Clara López Obregón: president of the Alternative Democratic Pole (2010–2011, 2012–2016), former caretaker Superior Mayor of Bogotá (2011), former Secretary of Government of Bogotá (2008–2010). 2014 Alternative Democratic Pole presidential candidate. Candidate of the Alternative Democratic Pole, supported by the Patriotic Union and the Indigenous and Social Alternative Movement.
• Francisco Santos Calderón: former Vice President of Colombia (2002–2010). Candidate of the Democratic Center

Results

Candidate		Parties or coalition
			Votes	%
	Enrique Peñalosa	Recuperemos Bogotá–CR - Conservative	906,058	33.18%
	Rafael Pardo	Liberal–Party of the U	778,764	28.52%
	Clara López	Polo–UP–MAIS	499,598	18.30%
	Francisco Santos	CD	327,598	12.00%
	Ricardo Arias Mora	Libres	90,288	3.31%
	Daniel Raisbeck	Libertarian Movement	20,233	0.74%
	Alexandre Vernot	People, Land and Fire Movement	7,306	0.27%
	Withdrawn	Green Alliance	960	0.04%
	Withdrawn	Progressives Movement	633	0.02%
Total vote for candidates			2,631,438	96.37%
Blank votes			99,134	3.63%
Total valid votes			2,730,572	100.00%
Invalid votes			57,063
Unmarked votes			23,197
Total votes (turnout)			2,810,832	51.55%
Registered voters			5,453,086[6]

Medellín (Antioquia)

• Population: 2,464,322 (2015 est.)
• Incumbent mayor: Aníbal Gaviria (Liberal)

Candidates

• Federico Gutiérrez: former Medellín municipal councillor (2004–2011)
• Juan Carlos Vélez Uribe: former Senator (2010–2014)
• Gabriel Jaime Rico: former Medellín municipal councillor (2001–2007)
• Alonso Salazar: former Mayor of Medellín (2008–2011)
• Eugenio Prieto Soto: former Senator (2010–2014), former caretaker Governor of Antioquia (2002–2003). Withdrew

Results

Candidate		Parties or coalition
			Votes	%
	Federico Gutiérrez	Movimiento Creemos	246,221	35.81%
	Juan Carlos Vélez	CD	236,632	34.42%
	Gabriel Jaime Rico	Grand Alliance for Medellín (Party of the U–Conservative–CR)	111,796	16.26%
	Alonso Salazar	Green Alliance–ASI	37,241	5.42%
	Hector Manuel Hoyos Meneses	Polo	8,934	1.30%
	Eugenio Prieto Soto (withdrawn)	Liberal	1,606	0.23%
Total vote for candidates			642,430	93.44%
Blank votes			45,086	6.56%
Total valid votes			687,516	100.00%
Invalid votes			20,583
Unmarked votes			28,240
Total votes (turnout)			736,339	49.55%
Registered voters			1,486,004[7]

Cali (Valle del Cauca)

• Population: 2,394,925 (2015 est.)
• Incumbent mayor: Rodrigo Guerrero (Ind.)

Candidates

• Maurice Armitage: businessman, president of Siderúrgica de Occidente (Sidoc)
• Roberto Ortiz Urueña: former Representative (2010–2014)
• Angelino Garzón: former Vice President (2010–2014), former Governor of the Valle del Cauca (2004–2007), former Ambassador of Colombia to the United Nations (2009–2010), former Minister of Labour and Social Protection (2000–2002)
• Michel Maya: Cali municipal councillor (since 2011)
• Wilson Arias: former Representative (2010–2014), former Cali municipal councillor (2007–2009)
• Carlos Holguín: former Secretary of Government of Cali (1998–2000, 2012–2014)
• María Isabel Urrutia: former Representative (2002–2010), retired athlete and 2000 Olympic gold medallist (Weightlifting)

Results

Candidate		Parties or coalition
			Votes	%
	Maurice Armitage	Creemos con Armitage	265,230	38.23%
	Roberto Ortiz	Liberal	176,358	25.42%
	Angelino Garzón	Party of the U	152,471	21.98%
	Michel Maya	Green Alliance	23,153	3.34%
	Wilson Arias	Polo	17,518	2.53%
	Carlos Holguín	Conservative	15,776	2.27%
	María Isabel Urrutia	MAIS	5,621	0.81%
	María Isabel Larrarte	AICO	2,315	0.33%
Total vote for candidates			658,442	94.92%
Blank votes			35,265	5.08%
Total valid votes			693,707	100.00%
Invalid votes			18,078
Unmarked votes			19,532
Total votes (turnout)			731,317	45.38%
Registered voters			1,611,391[8]

Barranquilla (Atlántico)

• Population: 1,218,475 (2015 est.)
• Incumbent mayor: Elsa Noguera (CR)

Candidates

• Alejandro Char: former Mayor of Barranquilla (2008–2011), former Governor of Atlántico (2003)
• Rafael Sánchez Anillo: former Barranquilla municipal councillor (2012–2013)

Results

Candidate		Parties or coalition
			Votes	%
	Alejandro Char	CR	355,844	73.28%
	Rafael Sánchez Anillo	Firme Barranquilla, sí se puede	86,790	17.87%
Total vote for candidates			442,634	91.16%
Blank votes			42,899	8.84%
Total valid votes			485,533	100.00%
Invalid votes			9,780
Unmarked votes			59,601
Total votes (turnout)			552,214	54.69%
Registered voters			1,009,618[9]

Cartagena (Bolívar)

• Population: 1,001,755 (2015 est.)
• Incumbent mayor: Dionisio Vélez (Liberal–Green)

Candidates

• Manuel Duque: journalist, radio personality
• Antonio Quinto Guerra: former Cartagena municipal councillor (2003–2015)
• Andrés Betancour: former Cartagena municipal councillor (2008–2015)
• Gina Benedetti: former Ambassador of Colombia to Panama, former caretaker Mayor of Cartagena (1999–2000)

Results

Candidate		Parties or coalition
			Votes	%
	Manuel Duque	Primero la Gente	127,440	37.52%
	Antonio Quinta Guerra	Conservative	100,358	29.55%
	Andrés Betancour	Cartagena Confirma	48,543	14.29%
	Gina Benedetti	CD	22,075	6.50%
	Reinaldo Rafael Manjarrez Muñoz	UP	4,223	1.24%
	Fabio Yezid Castellanos Herrera	Green Alliance	3,842	1.13%
	Blank vote promoting committee	Polo	3,535	1.04%
	Rosario Romero	AICO	1,633	0.48%
Total vote for candidates			311,649	91.77%
Blank votes			27,962	8.23%
Total valid votes			339,611	100.00%
Invalid votes			7,353
Unmarked votes			32,344
Total votes (turnout)			379,308	52.53%
Registered voters			722,004[10]

References

1. "Constitución Política de Colombia, 1991 (Artículo 303)". Secretaría General del Senado.
2. "Constitución Política de Colombia, 1991 (Artículo 299)". Secretaría General del Senado.
3. "Constitución Política de Colombia, 1991 (Artículo 314)". Secretaría General del Senado.
4. "Constitución Política de Colombia, 1991 (Artículo 312)". Secretaría General del Senado.
5. "Constitución Política de Colombia, 1991 (Artículo 323)". Secretaría General del Senado.
6. "Resultados del Escrutinio (Elecciones de Alcalde: Bogota D.C.)" (PDF). Consejo Nacional Electoral.
7. "Resultados del Escrutinio (Elecciones de Alcalde: Medellin)" (PDF). Registraduría Nacional del Estado Civil.
8. "Resultados del Escrutinio (Elecciones de Alcalde: Cali)" (PDF). Registraduría Nacional del Estado Civil.
9. "Elecciones de Autoridades Locales 2015 - Alcaldía - ATLANTICO - BARRANQUILLA - República de Colombia". Registraduría Nacional del Estado Civil. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
10. "Elecciones de Autoridades Locales 2015 - Alcaldía - BOLIVAR - CARTAGENA - República de Colombia". Registraduría Nacional del Estado Civil. Retrieved 1 June 2016.