IECM Finalizes COPACO 2026 Rules and Timetable, Issues District Operations Manual

Overview

• Voters will have a mixed voting option with an online window from April 20–30 and a single in-person day on May 3 from 09:00 to 17:00 at Mesas Receptoras de Opinión.
• A newly approved technical manual guides 33 district offices on participation geography, placement and equipping of voting tables, staff training, documentation, and secure, auditable digital voting.
• Key milestones include application review from March 10–25, publication of folios on March 27, candidacy decisions on March 29, identification letters on March 31–April 1, and formal integration with certificates on May 11–15.
• Promotion runs April 2–16 under equity rules that require use of personal resources only and prohibit partisan propaganda or public funds.
• Each COPACO will have nine non-remunerated members serving June 2026–May 2029 with gender parity and inclusion measures, linking neighborhoods to authorities and participatory budget projects.