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Cape Verde

Franchise & Registration

  • Franchise Age: 18
  • Compulsory Vote: Not compulsory
  • Eligibility Exception: Exclusion etablished by Law: persons under special guardianship, insanity, criminal conviction

Election Management & Enforcement

  • Nameof EMB: Comissao Nacional de Eleiçoes
  • Independent EMB: No
  • EMBNominations: 5 members selected by the National Assembly. Expert based membership.
  • EMBTenure: 6 years
  • Who Runs Election: Election Management Body
  • Nameof Elect Enforcement Body: The Supreme Court of Justice and the Constitutional Court.

Candidacy & Campaign Rules

  • Restrictto Candidacy: To be elected President of the Republic, the candidate must be a native-born Cape Verdian voter, at least thirty-five years of age at the date of candidacy, and have been a permanent resident in the national territory for three years immediately preceding that date. No candidate may exercise any public office, nor the post of Attorney General, or Chief or Vice- Chief of the Armed Forces. Candidacies for President of the Republic must be proposed by a minimum of 1,000 and a maximum of 4,000 voters and presented to the Supreme Court of Justice not later than sixty days before the election date.
  • Opinion Polls Embargo: Embargo for longer

Electoral System & Organisation

  • Elect System Main Election: Majority
  • Main Election Type: Presidential
  • Main Election Cycle: 5
  • Numb Round Main Election: Two
  • Referenda_Law: The result of the referendum is binding to all the organs of political power and public and private entities. Source: Constitution of Cape Verde as amended in 2010, art. 103 (5)
  • Referenda_Binding: Always Binding
  • Vote IDRequired: ID check when polling card lost
  • Polling Card: Polling card sent but not compulsory
  • National Holiday Elect Day: Never
  • Districting Source: Parliament
  • Districting Flexibility: Conformity with local jurisdiction boundaries

Polling Station

  • Maximum Ratio: 300
  • Normal Opening Time Poll Station: 700
  • Normal Closing Time Poll Station: 1700
  • Listof Polling Station Buildings: public building
  • Accessibility Requirement: Party to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Party to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Article 29 on participation of persons with disabilities in political and public life, which creates positive obligations on the part of the State to take into account disabled voters.
  • Personnel Number Requirement: 4
  • Ballot Box Transparency: Transparent
  • Count Locallyor Centrally: locally
  • Manualor Automatic Count: manual

Ballot Paper

  • Ballot Type: Paper
  • Singleor Multi Paper Ballot: Single
  • Max Numberof Votesper Ballot: 1
  • Ballot Paper Type Description: Single Ballot Paper with Party Symbols.
  • Orderof Candidatesor Parties: random

Remote Voting

  • Mobile Polling Stations: No

Special Needs

  • Special Provision Female Voters: Priority was given to the disabled, the elderly, pregnant women and those who needed assistance. BUT, The electoral law excludes women with psychosocial disabilities of their political rights including the right to vote on the basis of their disability and without any possibility of contestation.
  • Provision Blind Voters: Priority was given to the disabled
  • Provision Deaf Voters: Priority was given to the disabled
  • Provision Motor Handicap Voters: Priority was given to the disabled
  • Over Representation Vuln Group: Cape Verde has three overseas seats reserved for expatriates

Targeted Initiatives

Inclusivity Provisions