Bolivia Bans Non-Voters From Banks & Passports for 90 Days

Bolivia's compulsory voting system is rooted in its 2009 Constitution (Article 26), which enshrines voting as both a right and an obligation for all citizens aged 18 and over. The current enforcement framework was codified in Ley N° 026 del Régimen Electoral, enacted on 30 June 2010 under President Evo Morales, which formalized the 90-day restriction on banking, public employment access, and passport issuance for non-voters.

Bolivia consistently achieves voter turnout of nearly 90%, which experts attribute directly to the severity of its sanctions — the strictest of any compulsory voting country in Latin America. The mechanism works as a two-stage system: first, a monetary fine is imposed; if the fine is unpaid, then the civil restrictions kick in — blocking access to banks, government jobs, and passport services for three months. Citizens can avoid ALL penalties by obtaining a 'certificado de impedimento' (impediment certificate) if they can prove illness, being abroad, or other force majeure circumstances, backed by documentation. Citizens over 70 are fully exempt.

The law is actively enforced. As recently as March 2026, following Bolivia's subnational elections, the Dirección General de Migración issued a formal directive requiring all passport applicants to present the voting certificate. Banks are legally mandated to demand the certificate for transactions. Government officials who fail to enforce the certificate requirement can themselves be fined up to 20% of the minimum salary. The system has attracted international attention from election monitoring bodies including the Carter Center and the European Parliament, both of which have documented and verified the penalties in official reports.