Ecuador’s 2026 Local Elections Begin With Most Voters Still Undecided

Ecuador's next local elections are approaching with a large share of voters still undecided, according to a Cedatos study published on August 7, 2026.

The study, reported by La Hora, says 63.9% of Ecuadorians have not decided whom to support for mayor, while 69% remain undecided about prefectural candidates. It also says 82.8% of citizens do not identify with any political party or movement.

The figures describe an unsettled electorate, not a prediction of who will win. They also do not measure the preferences of foreign residents as a separate group. For expats, the useful point is that the political field remains open and that early campaign narratives should not be mistaken for a final result.

What is being elected

The elections are scheduled for November 29, 2026. La Hora reports that Ecuadorians will choose 5,749 authorities, including 23 prefects, 222 mayors, 909 urban councilors, 457 rural councilors, 4,131 parish-board members, and seven members of the CPCCS.

Those offices are not interchangeable. Mayors and councils shape local services and city administration, while prefectures address provincial responsibilities. The parish-level positions operate closer to local communities. The CPCCS is a separate national institution with its own role.

The report says the high level of indecision reflects a highly volatile electorate and limited knowledge of most candidacies. That is a description attributed to the study, not an independent assessment of every candidate or party.

Why the timing matters

At fewer than four months before the vote, candidates still have time to become better known, lists and alliances can change, and debates may alter how voters compare proposals. The study therefore works best as an early indicator of attention and uncertainty rather than a campaign scoreboard.

Foreign residents should also be careful with the language of the survey. It reports the views of Ecuadorians and does not establish who is eligible to vote or how residency status affects participation. Anyone planning to participate should rely on official CNE information for the applicable rules.

What This Means for Expats

The practical watchlist is local rather than ideological: who is running for mayor and prefect, what they propose for infrastructure and services, and how the final lists are registered. The current data suggests that the campaign has room to move, so a headline about an early favorite should be treated as provisional unless it is backed by later polling or official results.

Source: La Hora

The survey is therefore most useful as a reminder to wait for candidate information that can be compared. A voter who is unfamiliar with Ecuadorian municipal structures may find a party label less informative than a concrete proposal about roads, water, sanitation, or local risk management. Those are the kinds of responsibilities that bring a national campaign into contact with daily life.

The same caution applies to social-media discussion. High visibility is not the same thing as a final candidacy, and early campaign attention is not the same thing as an official result. The study gives a snapshot of uncertainty at the start of the process; later official lists, debates, and polling will provide the next layers of information.