Fraudulent Electoral Democracy. Electoral Transhumance as a Strategy to Win Local Elections in Colombia

Abstract

This article analyzes electoral transhumance, a form of electoral fraud that mobilizes voters in municipalities that do not correspond to the local electoral rolls. It is one of the most repeated and decisive strategies that affect the election results; thus, distorting the electoral process. This article provides an empirical analysis of nine consecutive elections in the period 1990–2015, and takes into account the dimensions, tendencies and logic that prevails in this modality of electoral fraud. The methodology includes the analysis of registration statistics, registration and cancellation of inscriptions for presumption of transhumance, the collection of oral and written testimonies, and a systematic analysis of national and regional journals. The study concludes that, despite the regulations and the typification of a new criminal type of electoral fraud in this regard, these crimes are very difficult to prove; therefore, it is also very difficult to condemn the people involved. As a result, elections have been cancelled in very few cases associated to this crime. Finally, it is proposed to denominate the Colombian regime as a fraudulent electoral democracy.