Ecuador picks 23 prefects (provincial governors) and 222 mayors in 24 days, and the race for Quito, the capital, has no clear winner yet. Our Ecuador local elections 2026 hub found no new poll or ruling dated 4 or 5 November, so this is where the race stands.
Voting is on Sunday, 29 November 2026, and polls close at 5 p.m. Eastern Time (ET), the same clock Ecuador uses in November. More than 13.8 million people are eligible to vote, and voting is optional for those aged 16 to 18 and over 65.
This story is part of our coverage of the Ecuador local elections 2026. Dates, times and how to follow it are in our guide.
What Ecuadorians Elect
The ballot also covers 909 urban and 457 rural councillors, 4,131 rural parish board seats and 7 seats on the Consejo de Participación Ciudadana y Control Social (CPCCS), a citizen-participation council. The National Electoral Council (CNE), the body that runs the vote, began printing 84.7 million ballots on 5 October.
As of 11 September, the CNE said 14,830 candidates met the legal requirements, including 528 for mayor and 70 for prefect or vice-prefect. That count leaves out the CPCCS, whose candidates follow a separate schedule.
File photo: downtown Guayaquil, one of the races to watch on 29 November.Where the Quito Race Stands
AtlasIntel, a polling firm, put Quito Mayor Pabel Muñoz at 21.1% in a survey fielded from 26 September to 2 October and published on 4 October. His rivals Harold Burbano and Jorge Yunda followed with 16.6% and 11.9%.
The survey reports a 2% margin of error, but it is more than a month old and predates the official campaign. We found no newer public poll for Quito or Guayaquil, Ecuador’s most populous city, so treat the numbers as a snapshot, not a forecast.
Why the Date Was Moved
On 27 March the CNE moved the vote forward from 14 February 2027, citing a warning from the national risk-management secretariat, a government disaster agency, about El Niño, a weather pattern that can bring severe flooding. Four of the five council members backed the change, while council member Elena Nájera voted against.
Revolución Ciudadana, the movement of former president Rafael Correa, and the Partido Social Cristiano (PSC), the Social Christian Party, challenged the change before the Tribunal Contencioso Electoral (TCE), the electoral disputes court. The tribunal declared the Revolución Ciudadana filing inadmissible and rejected the PSC’s challenge and then its appeal, so the 29 November date stands.
The Calendar to Election Day
Voting runs from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on 29 November. A second national voting drill is scheduled for 15 November, after the first drill on 1 November.
The CNE plans 45 mandatory debates in places with more than 100,000 voters. Winners take office in May 2027.
What It Means for You
Ecuador’s polls close at 5 p.m. ET on 29 November, so US readers can follow results live without a time-zone change. Quito is the capital and Guayaquil the most populous city, so both races matter to anyone watching Ecuador (see our Quito city guide).
We found no prediction market on this vote, so there are no betting odds to show. The hub will list new polls, rulings and results as they are confirmed.
What Is Not Known
No poll newer than 4 October was found. The CNE’s own website could not be reached, so an announcement dated 4 or 5 November there would not appear in this report.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Ecuador’s local election?
Ecuador votes on Sunday, 29 November 2026, and polls close at 5 p.m. ET. The campaign runs from 12 to 26 November.
Why was the election moved up?
The CNE moved the vote from 14 February 2027 to 29 November 2026, citing a risk-agency warning about El Niño flooding. The electoral disputes court rejected a challenge to the change.
Published Thursday, 5 November, 2:30 p.m. ET · Source: National Electoral Council (CNE), Contentious Electoral Tribunal (TCE), AtlasIntel.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI ·