Who’s To Judge?

Bolivians on Sunday voted in a unique election to choose top judicial officials, a process met with both widespread apathy and criticism from voters who say the system has turned courts into political battlegrounds rather than neutral arbiters of justice, the Associated Press reported.

The elections, which occur every six years, are meant to bring transparency and a democratic process to the judiciary, but many Bolivians remain skeptical, with some voters admitting they will flip a coin or spoil their ballots due to a lack of information about the candidates.

Bolivia remains the only country in the world to hold elections for top judges, with Sunday marking its third judicial vote since the system was introduced in 2009 under former President Evo Morales.

This year’s partial election will fill only four of nine seats on the constitutional court, leaving the remaining five judges in place – a scenario critics say favors allies of President Luis Arce, who has been locked in a bitter power struggle with Morales over control of their ruling party ahead of the 2025 presidential race.

The judicial elections were initially supposed to take place in late 2023, but the constitutional court – stacked with Arce’s allies – postponed the vote, citing political gridlock.

Opposition politicians and Morales’ supporters decried the move as unconstitutional, accusing Arce of extending judicial mandates to maintain influence over the courts.

The controversy has also fueled debates about the effectiveness and legitimacy of electing judges by popular vote, with opponents warning that such systems politicize the judiciary.

Mexico recently adopted a similar judicial election system, in which federal and supreme court judges will be elected by popular vote – with the first vote scheduled next year, according to Reuters.

A delegation from Mexico’s National Electoral Institute is observing the elections, but analysts caution about replicating Bolivia’s approach.