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INSIDECOSTARICA.COM
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COSTA RICA NEWS
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Saturday 04
December 2010 |
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TSE
Battles
Against
Voter
Absenteeism
In
Sunday's
Municipal
Elections
Sunday
is
election
day in
Costa
Rica,
the day
when
Costa
Ricans
go to
the
polls to
elect a
mayor,
vice-mayor,
council
members
and
district
representatives,
among
others,
in 81
cantones
for the
next six
years.
While
the
candidates
look for
votes,
the
Tribunal
Supremo
de
Elecciones
(TSE) -
elections
tribunal
- is
looking
to
reduce
voter
abstention.
Voter
turnout
in 2002
was only
22.8%,
while
four
years
later
the
number
of
voters
casting
their
vote
rose to
23.8%.
(This is
the
first
year
municipal
terms
are for
six
years,
the past
terms
coincided
with the
four
year
presidential
term).
For this
election
the TSE
is
looking
for 40%
voter
turnout,
which
would be
a very
important
achievement.
In the
2006
municipal
elections
the
cantones
with the
highest
absenteeism
were San
José
centre
(88.1%),
Tibás
(87.35),
Heredia
centre
*85.1%),
Desamparados
(84.9%)
and Leon
Cortes
(52.4%).
TSE
officials
point
out that
the high
absenteeism
rate is
likely
to be
the
month of
December,
a month
when
Costa
Ricans
are in
the
holiday
spirit,
with the
Aguinaldo
(Christmas
bonus),
paying
the
Marchamo
(yearly
circulation
permit)
and
making
travel
plans.
The
weather
also
plays an
important
part in
keeping
voters
away, as
December
is the
tail end
of the
rainy
season
and in
many
communities,
like
this
past
week,
the
weather
conditions
are poor
and
people
are more
concerned
in
getting
their
lives
back
together
than
concern
themselves
with
getting
out to
vote.
Luis
Antonio
Sobrado,
president
of the
TSE,
said on
Friday
that the
2016
municipal
elections
will be
held in
February,
the same
month
that the
presidential
elections
are
held.
The TSE
expects
the
cantones
co San
José,
Tibás,
Heredia,
Desamparados
and
Goicoechea
(all in
the
Central
Valley)
with the
least
voter
turnout |
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