The presidential primary in Colombia marks the formal beginning of the electoral calendar and mobilizes billions of pesos in public resources, in a process that defines candidacies while the debate over the power of Congress remains in the background.
The presidential primary in Colombia has become one of the most fiscally and strategically significant political processes in the electoral system. Although its formal objective is to allow parties and coalitions to define their presidential candidates, its implementation requires a high level of public spending and coincides with the election of the Congress of the Republic, a central component of political power that often receives less attention in public debate.
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Presidential primary in Colombia and campaign expense reimbursement
According to current electoral legislation, parties and movements participating in presidential primaries are entitled to reimbursement of campaign expenses for each valid vote obtained, provided they meet the requirements and submit their reports to the National Electoral Council. Based on limits applied in recent processes, reimbursement per vote can exceed 8,000 pesos.
According to the CNE, this mechanism aims to guarantee fair conditions in political competition and enable participation from different sectors. In practice, however, it represents a significant source of public funding. A pre-candidate who obtains tens of thousands of votes can access hundreds of millions of pesos, while those reaching vote totals close to one million can receive several billion pesos, even if they are not ultimately elected.
Operational costs and the role of the National Registry
In addition to these resources, there are the operational costs of election day. The National Civil Registry has estimated that a nationwide presidential primary can cost between 700 billion and 750 billion pesos, allocated to the production and distribution of electoral materials, payment of polling staff, logistics and transportation, security, and technological infrastructure.
The entity has stated that these expenses are necessary to guarantee transparency and integrity in the process, although it acknowledges that this is one of the most expensive events in Colombia’s electoral calendar.
The Electoral Observation Mission has warned that presidential primaries serve a democratic function by allowing citizen participation in defining candidacies, but they also generate political effects that go beyond that purpose. “The primary not only defines a candidate; it also marks the formal start of electoral competition and positions leadership figures before public opinion,” the MOE has explained in its analyses of recent processes.
Congressional elections: the power that remains in the background
At the same time as the presidential primary, citizens elect members of the Congress of the Republic. According to governance experts and electoral observation entities, this process receives less media and educational attention, despite its direct impact on the functioning of the State.
Congress is responsible for drafting and amending laws, approving the national budget, defining structural reforms, and exercising political oversight over the Executive branch. The Paz y Reconciliación Foundation has warned that the composition of the Legislative branch largely determines the viability of presidential proposals and the balance of powers.
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In this context, institutions such as the Ombudsman’s Office have stressed the need to strengthen electoral information and civic education so that citizens understand not only whom they are voting for, but also how the political system works and the actual powers of each office. “Informed participation is a pillar of democracy. Voting without understanding the scope of decisions weakens citizen oversight,” the entity has stated in its pronouncements on democratic culture.
The presidential primary is a legal mechanism established by Colombian law and funded with public resources. Its implementation involves significant state investment and produces political effects that go beyond selecting a candidate. While debate tends to focus on the presidential race, experts agree that strengthening public understanding of Congress and legislative power remains one of the main challenges of the democratic system.
