A. M. 
After amending Article 208 of the Constitution, the full legislature approved extending the terms of the five magistrates of the institution that guarantees democratic voting processes to six years. They also approved a transitional provision stipulating that the current magistrates’ terms will end early, on july 1, 2027.
To extend the terms of the Tribunal Supremo Electoral (TSE) magistrates and align them with the presidential election cycle, the members of the Legislative Assembly approved, with 57 votes, a constitutional amendment.
According to statements made during the 88th plenary session, the amendment modifies the first paragraph of Article 208 to extend the terms of the five magistrates and their alternates to six years.
This expansion encompasses a uniform electoral cycle, as the election of these officials will be combined with that of the president, vice president, members of this branch of government, mayors, and council members.
The TSE is the highest administrative authority in electoral matters, and its role is to guarantee that voting processes are democratic, fair, and transparent. This institution organizes elections, registers citizens entitled to participate, resolves disputes, and promotes civic engagement.
The parliamentarians also approved a transitional provision to shorten the terms of the current magistrates leading the TSE. Their terms were originally scheduled to end on July 1, 2029, but will now conclude on july 1, 2027.
This reform was proposed by Nuevas Ideas representative Dania González and was supported by the party’s caucus.
“The constitutional reform will help us streamline the timing of institutions so that our country functions optimally within electoral cycles. We want to unify and standardize the next elections, which will be held in 2027”, the legislator told the plenary session.
Gonzáles also indicated that “the timelines are being adjusted to ensure everything is aligned and there is only one electoral cycle, with very clear and fair rules for everyone”.
Previous amendments to strengthen democracy
On july 31, 2025, the Legislative Assembly approved and ratified a series of reforms to the Constitution of the Republic, which allowed for the indefinite reelection of the President, extended the presidential term from five to six years, and eliminated the runoff election.
This was done with the objective of updating the electoral system to strengthen democracy, optimize public resources, and align the rules with popular will.
At that time, this amendment was proposed by Ana Figueroa, a representative from the Nuevas Ideas party, and was supported by her party colleagues.
In addition, the legislators also supported a transitional measure to standardize the electoral cycle, allowing for a single presidential, legislative, and municipal election. To this end, President Nayib Bukele’s term was shortened to two years (from 2029 to 2027).
The amendments were approved during the 66th ordinary plenary session and ratified in the 67th ordinary plenary session.
You can also read:
