El Salvador

Legislative Assembly

Election results

Data on parliamentary elections, including the background, candidates, voter turnout, results and the formation of the new legislature. By default the latest election results are displayed. Select a date to view results from previous elections

Background

Election date(s) The date when elections started and ended for directly or indirectly elected parliaments/chambers. The date of appointments for appointed parliaments/chambers.
28.02.2021
Timing of election Timing of election: Upon normal expiry; Early elections; Delayed elections
Upon normal expiry
Expected date of next elections The expected date at which the next elections should take place, based on law or practice.
04.02.2024
Number of seats at stake Number of seats contested at the elections. Where the parliament/chamber is fully renewed, this number is usually identical to the statutory number of members. Where the parliament/chamber is partially renewed or appointed, the number of seats at stake is usually less than the total number of members.
84
Scope of elections Scope of elections: Full renewal; Partial renewal.
Full renewal

Voter turnout

Registration Number of people registered to vote
5,820,462

Results

About the election Short description of the context and results of the election.
President Nayib Bukele’s New Ideas party and its ally, the Grand Alliance for National Unity (GANA, led by Mr. Nelson Guardado, see note), won a two-thirds majority in the 84-member Legislative Assembly, thereby enabling them to appoint the attorney general and 5 of the 15 judges at the Supreme Court of Justice. The National Republican Alliance (ARENA, the largest party in the outgoing legislature) and its allies took a total of 13 seats. The Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN, the second largest party of the previous legislature) won only four seats. On 1 May, the newly elected Legislative Assembly held its first session. It voted to remove from office the Attorney General and five Supreme Court judges.

Note:
Thirty-nine-year-old President Bukele, a former member of the FMLN, was elected President in 2019 under GANA’s ticket, promising to root out corruption and tackle rampant gang violence. GANA had been formed in 2010 by former members of ARENA. Mr. Bukele is the first president in El Salvador who does not belong to the FMLN or ARENA, the two traditional parties which have dominated the country’s politics until recently.
Number of parties winning seats The number of parties which won parliamentary representation in the given election.
12
Percentage of seats won by largest party or coalition The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of seats won by the largest party by the number of seats at stake in the election.
54.76%
Alternation of power after elections The results of the elections caused a change in the government. "Not applicable" to countries using the presidential system when parliamentary and presidential elections are held separately, to countries in political transition or where there is no party system.
Not applicable
Note on the alternation of power
Parties holding the presidency and the legislature changed between elections.
Number of parties in government The government may be formed by one or more political parties
1
Names of parties in government The government may be formed by one or more political parties
New Ideas (N)
Parties or coalitions winning seats
Political groups winning seats breakdown
Political group Total
New Ideas (N) 46
Coalition New Ideas (N)-Grand Alliance for National Unity (GANA) 10
Grand Alliance for National Unity (GANA) 5
National Republican Alliance (ARENA) 9
Coalition National Republican Alliance (ARENA)-Salvadoran Democracy (DS) 4
Coalition National Republican Alliance (ARENA)-National Conciliation party (PCN) 1
National Conciliation Party (PCN) 1
Coalition National Conciliation party (PCN)-Salvadoran Democracy (DS) 1
Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) 4
Christian Democratic Party (PDC) 1
Our Time (NT) 1
Vamos 1
Members elected, by sex
Number of men elected
61
Number of women elected
23
Percentage of women elected The percentage is calculated by dividing the number of women elected in the election and the number of seats at stake at the election.
27.38%
Sources
Legislative Assembly (23.03.2021, 02.07.2021)
https://www.tse.gob.sv/
BBC Monitoring
BBC
https://www.aljazeera.com
https://www.france24.com/es
https://www.nytimes.com
Women Directly Elected
23

New legislature

Total number of men after the election The total number of male parliamentarians in this parliament/chamber following the election or renewal, regardless of their modes of designation.
61
Total number of women after the election The total number of female parliamentarians in this parliament/chamber following the election or renewal, regardless of their modes of designation.
23
Date of the first session The date when the newly elected parliament/chamber was convened for the first time. It may be different from the date when members were sworn in.
01.05.2021
First Speaker of the new legislature
First Speaker of the new legislature First name of the Speaker of the new legislature following the election or renewal.
Ernesto Alfredo Castro Aldana (Male)
Political party
New Ideas (N)
Date of election
01.05.2021