Panamanians Head to General Elections This Sunday

On May 5, approximately 3 million Panamanians are being called to the polls to vote for president, vice president, 20 legislators to the Central American Parliament, 71 legislators to the National Assembly, 81 mayors, 701 township representatives, and 11 councilors.

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All positions are decided by simple majority, there is no runoff, and voting is not mandatory. Eight politicians are vying for the presidency for the 2024-2029 term. 

These officials will serve their terms during the constitutional period starting on July 1, 2024, and ending on June 30, 2029. 

The 3,037 polling stations will cater to over 3 million eligible voters from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Electoral Tribunal will provide the first preliminary results of the vote count in the night.

According to the latest voter intention polls released on Thursday, Jose Mulino of the Achieving Goals party leads among the eight candidates with 37.6 percent of the citizen's preference.

Former president Martin Torrijos has 16.4 percent, Romulo Roux has 14.9 percent, and Ricardo Lombana has 12.7 percent.

The rest of the competitors lack apparent chances, with Jose Carrizo at 8.3 percent, followed by Zulay Rodriguez at 5.1 percent, Meliton Arrocha at 2.4 percent, and Maribel Gordon at 1 percent.

"The electoral offer is already very clear, and you have open options... Those of us who have come to Panama many times know that this is a society that intensely lives politics, and we hope that the citizenship will turn out to vote in the same manner," said Jose Thompson, director of the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights.