El Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones de Costa Rica

Abstract

The purpose of the National Electoral Tribunal (TSE) since its constitutional creation in 1949 is to "organize, administer and supervision of those acts related to suffrage." The TSE was conceived as an autonomous state institution, and since 1975 by constitutional reform was granted "independence from any of the State branches." The duties of this institution and its agencies are the subject of this lecture. The TSE is a collegiate institution, permanent and integrated by three full magistrates and six substitute magistrates, designated by the Supreme Court of Costa Rica, for a period of six years. The TSE fulfils its constitutional role as the maximum organism of the electoral administration and simultaneously performs electoral jurisdiction. The Electoral Code and the Organic Law of the TSE and the National Registry regulate the competence of the TSE. The National Tribunal is at the head of the electoral organizations and the Civil Registry and the electoral "juntas" depend on it. The Civil Registry is divided in two departments: civil and electoral. The civil department conveys upon naturalization and is the national register office. The electoral department is responsible of the national identification cards and has the responsibility to elaborate the electoral census. The General Direction of the Civil Registry is in charge of the registration of political parties and the inscription of candidacies. Historically, the TSE has reinforced its independence and autonomy, because the Judicial Branch has forbidden solving the electoral "amparo" and the Congress can not interpret electoral legislation and must consult the TSE its opinion on any discussion of possible electoral legislation.