At Stake in this Election: 

• Presidency of Panama 

The National Assembly election, as well as subnational elections, will take place concurrently.

Government Structure:  

• Chief of State: President Laurentino “Nito” CORTIZO Cohen (since 1 July 2019) 

• Head of Government: President Laurentino “Nito” CORTIZO Cohen (since 1 July 2019) 

• Assembly: unicameral National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional) with 71 seats

Electoral System:  

• The President is directly elected by simple majority vote along with a vice president on the same ballot. The presidential term is 5 years. While there is no absolute term limit, the President may not serve consecutive terms.  

• In the National Assembly, 45 members are directly elected by open-list proportional representation vote from multi-seat constituencies. The remaining 26 members are directly elected by plurality vote from single-seat districts. All 71 members serve 5-year terms, and there are no term limits.

Last Election: 

In the 2019 presidential election, Laurentino “Nito” CORTIZO (PRD) won with 33.35% of the vote. Voter turnout was 72.93%.

Information for Voters: 

Verify Your Information to Find Where to Vote / Verifícate para conocer dónde vas a votar (in Spanish)

New/Unique in this Election:  

On 22 October 2021, the National Assembly passed Law 247, modifying many components of the electoral code. The law recategorizes and expands electoral crimes. Additionally, the law prohibits parties and candidates from accepting donations from government contractors or concessionaires, religious organizations, or individuals convicted of certain crimes (drug/human trafficking, terrorism, etc.). The campaign period for general elections was increased from 60 to 90 days, and “campaigning” was redefined to include only paid activities. 

In March 2024, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) rejected former president Ricardo Martinelli’s presidential candidacy on the grounds that he had been sentenced to five years in prison on 17 July 2023 for crimes of corruption. José Raúl Molino, formerly Martinelli’s running mate, will become the presidential candidate for the Realizando Metas and Alianza parties in his stead.

Key Deadlines: 

• Candidate filing deadline: Varies by affiliation 

• Political parties must submit their candidate lists by 31 December 2023. 

• Candidates not affiliated with a political party must apply for pre-candidacy by 31 July 2022 and submit voter signatures by 31 July 2023. 

• Voter registration deadline: N/A; All Panamanians who have a national ID card and who will be 18 by election day are automatically included on the voter roll. The voter roll will close on 5 January 2023. 

• Overseas residents must register by 27 December 2023 to be included in the overseas voter roll.

Main Candidates in this Election: 

• José Gabriel CARRIZO 

• PRD and MOLIRENA 

• Martín TORRIJOS 

• Partido Popular 

• Rómulo ROUX 

• Cambio Democrático and Partido Panameñista 

• José Raúl MULINO 

• Realizando Metas and Alianza 

• Ricardo LOMBANA 

• MOCA 

• Zulay RODRÍGUEZ 

• Independent 

• Maribel GORDÓN 

• Independent 

• Meliton A. ARROCHA Ruíz 

• Independent

Population and Registered Voters: 

• Population: 4,408,580 (2022 est.) 

• Registered Voters: 3,004,083 (2024)

Gender Data: 

• Female Population: 2,204,170 (2022 est.) 

• CEDAW Status: Signed 26 June 1980, Ratified 29 October 1981 

• Gender Quota:  Yes, party lists for National Assembly, mayors, and local councils must alternate between male and female candidates. 

• Female Candidates in this election: Yes 

• Number of Female Legislators (pre-election): 16 out of 71 (22.5%) in the National Assembly 

• Human Development Index (HDI) Position: 0.820, Very High, Rank 57 (2022) 

• Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: 15.2 (2023)

Disability Data: 

• CRPD Status: Signed 30 March 2007, Ratified 7 August 2007 

• Projected population with a disability: 705,373 (2022 est.)

IFES Resources: 

• Does IFES have a presence in Panama: No 

• Election Access: Yes 

• Election Judgements:  Yes, 4 judgements and 5 resources