| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Asamblea Legislativa / Legislative Assembly |
| Structure of parliament |
Unicameral |
| LEGAL FRAMEWORK |
| Electoral Law |
1 January 1953
Last amendment: 2005 |
| Mode of designation |
Directly elected 57 |
| Constituencies |
7 multi-member constituencies (4 to 21 seats, according to population), one for each of the country's provinces |
| Voting system |
Proportional:
Direct vote with a quotient and sub-quotient closed party-list system of proportional representation. Electors vote for party lists without being permitted to combine different lists.
The quotient is the number obtained by dividing the total of valid votes cast in a particular province by the number of seats to be filled in the same province; the sub-quotient is the total of valid votes cast for a party which, while not attaining the quotient, obtains or exceeds 50% of it.
Successful parties are those which have attained the required quotient. Seats remaining unfilled on the basis of the quotient system are distributed among parties in the order of their residual votes; parties which did not attain the sub-quotient are also taken into account, their votes being treated as residual votes.
At least 40 per cent of candidates endorsed by political parties must be women.
Vacancies arising between general elections are filled by the "next-in-line" candidate on the party list to which the former member belonged, as declared by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal.
Voting is compulsory. |
| Voter requirements |
- age: 18
- Costa Rican citizenship (naturalized citizens can only vote 12 months after acquiring that status)
- residence in the country
- disqualifications: judicial interdiction, suspension of political rights, persons serving a prison term, dementia, undocumented immigrants |
| CANDIDATES |
| Eligibility |
- qualified electors
- age: 21
- Costa Rican citizenship by birth or residence in the country for at least 10 years after naturalization
- full possession of civil rights |
| Incompatibilities |
- President of the Republic (or his/her close relatives)
- government ministers
- certain high judges
- members of the armed forces on active duty
- senior officials of provincial governments or autonomous institutions
- public contractors |
| Candidacy requirements |
- submission by political parties
- no deposit required |
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Electoral system module
