Nicaragua
Central America · ni
Co-presidential republic under the 2025 constitution. Parties and alliances nominate one male and one female co-presidential candidate; proportional elections fill the National Assembly and Central American Parliament at the same general election.
Profile last reviewed July 23, 2026
Nicaraguans aged 16 and older vote using a national identity card and a permanent register maintained by the Supreme Electoral Council. The 2025 constitution created a joint co-presidency, lengthened elected terms to six years and moved the general election to the first Sunday after 2 November. International human-rights bodies have documented severe restrictions on competition, media and civic space around recent elections.
How voting works today
- Voting age
- 16 and over
- Voter registration
- State-initiated
- Identification
- Photo ID required
- Compulsory voting
- No
- Postal voting
- Not available
- Early voting
- Not available
- Online voting
- Not available
- Voting from abroad
- Not available
A citizen who receives a national identity card is automatically assigned to a voting centre. The CSE issues cards from age 16 and the permanent register is updated from identity, civil-registry and residence records. Voting requires the original identity card or an authorized substitute document.
How the franchise changed
Every entry records a change in who could vote, or how — expansions, restrictions and procedural reforms alike.
- 1984Expansion
The first national election after the 1979 revolution elected a president and constituent legislature through direct voting.
Elections in Nicaragua - 1987Expansion
The constitutional framework recognized citizenship and voting rights from age 16.
Electoral Law with incorporated reforms - 2021Restriction
The IACHR documented arbitrary arrests, harassment of opposition figures and journalists, and other restrictions during the general-election period.
IACHR condemns human-rights violations reported during elections - 2025Reform
A constitutional rewrite created a male-female co-presidency, extended elected terms to six years and changed the date formula for general elections.
Consolidated Constitution of the Republic of Nicaragua
Safeguards on the count
- Ballot type
- Paper ballots
- Post-election audit
- No routine audit
- Election administration
- Government-run
- Domestic observers
- No
- International observers
- No
The constitution gives the CSE exclusive control over elections, while its six magistrates are elected by the National Assembly from nominations made by the presidency and/or legislators. Party polling agents are provided for in electoral law, but independent international observation was not admitted for the 2021 election; arrangements for 2026 remain to be published.
Worth knowing
- Under the current constitution, the co-presidents take office on 10 January after the election and serve a joint six-year term.Consolidated Constitution of the Republic of Nicaragua
- The CSE's older FAQ still describes five-year terms and a first-Sunday-in-November election; those statements predate and conflict with the constitution published in February 2025.Frequently asked questions
Elections in the database
- 2026Nicaragua 2026 General ElectionElection Watch
People
- Head of stateDaniel OrtegaCo-President of Nicaragua
- Head of stateRosario MurilloCo-President of Nicaragua
Sources
- Consolidated Constitution of the Republic of Nicaragua— National Assembly of Nicaragua
- Electoral Law with incorporated reforms— Supreme Electoral Council of Nicaragua
- Citizen identification— Supreme Electoral Council of Nicaragua