You can still register your ID card to vote in the next elections: this is the deadline and what you should do if you have changed your residence or have not registered your ID card yet
There is still time to register your ID card near your home and thus participate in the regional elections next October 29, with which you will be able to participate in the election of mayors, councilors, councilmen, governors and deputies throughout the national territory.
The process to register your ID is available for all persons who do not have their ID card registered at any polling station and for those who have changed their place of residence.
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With this registration, Colombians have the opportunity to exercise their right to vote in the elections that will determine the composition of local governments to elect 1,102 mayors, 12,072 councilors, 6,513 councilors, 32 governors and 418 deputies, who will play key roles at the local and departmental level.
For this reason, the electoral authorities call all citizens to register their ID to participate in these elections, for which it is essential to have your ID registered in the electoral census.
Requirements to register your ID for the elections of 2023
- To be of legal age and have a valid citizenship card of the latest generation, that is to say, the yellow card with holograms or the digital card.
- Be a Colombian citizen by birth or adoption, or reside abroad.
- To register your ID within the deadlines established by the National Civil Registry.
Deadline to register your ID
To register your ID is the first step to assert your voice and choice in the territorial democratic process.
According to the Registraduría, next Tuesday, August 29 is the deadline to register your ID card at the posts provided by the entity for this purpose.
We recommend you not to miss this opportunity, and avoid leaving this procedure to the last minute, because if there is any setback you will not be able to participate in the next elections.
What should I do to register my ID card?
It is important to remember that, upon turning 18 years old and obtaining the citizenship card, Colombian citizens are registered in the electoral roll and are eligible to vote.
Thus, the Registrar’s Office will assign a first voting station close to their place of residence, which facilitates participation in the elections.
However, there are two cases in which it is necessary to register your ID card:
1. When there is a change of residence: if you have changed your place of residence and wish to update your voting station, you must register your ID. This ensures that you can exercise your right to vote very close to the place where you live.
2. Resident foreigners: Foreigners who have at least five years of residence in Colombia, have a valid foreigner identification card with the category of resident and issued by Migración Colombia have the opportunity to participate in the elections. To do so, they must register their identification card at the nearest polling station and thus contribute to the democratic process of the country.
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How to register your ID card?
If you have never registered your ID card or you are in any of the two cases mentioned above, you must go to the point enabled by the Registrar’s office closest to your home to proceed with the registration.
Be sure to take the yellow hologram ID card or the digital ID card to the mobile registration points throughout the country or to the Registrar’s Office.
The attention to the public of these points is from Monday to Friday, the schedules depend on each one of the points, which can be consulted here.
Registration of the citizenship card for Colombians living abroad
Colombian citizens residing abroad who wish to exercise their right to vote in a place close to their residence have the possibility of registering their citizenship card at the corresponding embassy, consulate, or at the registration points authorized by the National Registry of Civil Status (Registraduría Nacional del Estado Civil) abroad.
Inclusion of the omitted citizenship card in the electoral census
In case the citizenship card has been removed from the electoral roll due to an error or omission, the citizen may request the inclusion of his/her card to participate in the electoral process. In order to do so, he/she must comply with the following requirements:
- Have Colombian nationality.
- Be of legal age.
- Have been excluded from the electoral census database due to error or omission.
- Submit a written request, for which a letter must be drafted requesting the inclusion of the citizenship card in the electoral census database.
- Provide the citizenship card or a voucher confirming the registration of the same.
