Manually, they couldn't keep up.
En la apertura del voto en el exterior para las elecciones presidenciales colombianas, miles de ciudadanos en Miami, Washington y Londres encontraron no urnas, sino filas interminables y puertas cerradas. El padrón electoral en el extranjero creció un 45 por ciento desde 2022, pero la infraestructura no creció con él. Es una tensión tan antigua como la democracia misma: el derecho proclamado y el derecho ejercido no siempre llegan juntos al mismo lugar.
- Miles de colombianos en el exterior llegaron temprano el 25 de mayo y se fueron sin votar, después de horas de espera bajo un sistema que no resistió la demanda.
- La coincidencia con festivos en Estados Unidos y Reino Unido concentró una afluencia masiva justo cuando las mesas de votación eran las menos preparadas para recibirla.
- En Washington, formularios faltantes paralizaron el proceso; en Miami, solo dos personas verificaban votantes manualmente; en Londres, la fila avanzó más lento que el reloj.
- La Registraduría desplegó apenas 1.489 mesas el primer día frente a las 2.181 previstas para el 31 de mayo, una brecha que convirtió el inicio del proceso en un embudo.
- Las autoridades defienden la legalidad del horario y señalan que la votación continúa hasta el sábado, pero la confianza en la logística ya sufrió un golpe difícil de reparar.
El lunes 25 de mayo, primer día de votación para colombianos en el exterior, las quejas llegaron casi al mismo tiempo que los votantes. En Miami, Washington y Londres, ciudadanos publicaron imágenes de filas que se extendían por cuadras enteras, mesas atendidas por personal mínimo y cientos de personas enviadas a casa cuando los puestos cerraron a las 4 de la tarde sin haber podido votar.
En Miami, una mujer que lleva doce años viviendo fuera del país describió tres horas de espera solo para llegar al primer filtro de verificación, donde únicamente dos personas atendían a los votantes de forma manual. En Washington, la situación se agravó con formularios faltantes que detuvieron el proceso por completo. Londres vivió frustraciones similares, con colombianos que esperaron en fila sin lograr ejercer su derecho.
Detrás del caos hay una cifra reveladora: el censo electoral en el exterior creció un 45 por ciento desde las elecciones de 2022. Solo en Estados Unidos hay 454.262 votantes habilitados. Sin embargo, la Registraduría desplegó apenas 1.489 mesas el primer día, frente a las 2.181 que estarán disponibles el 31 de mayo. En Inglaterra, 35 mesas debían atender a 23.331 votantes.
La Registraduría recordó que los horarios están fijados por ley y que la responsabilidad de instalar los puestos recae en la Cancillería. La embajadora Laura Sarabia señaló que 1.783 colombianos lograron votar en Londres y que el consulado permanecerá abierto toda la semana. La votación continúa hasta el sábado, y en algunos países hasta el domingo.
Pero el primer día dejó una herida visible. Algunos votantes en Estados Unidos llegaron a sugerir que las demoras podrían haber sido deliberadas. Tuvieran razón o no, el resultado fue el mismo: miles de colombianos que hicieron el esfuerzo de ir a votar regresaron a casa con las manos vacías, y un sistema que no supo crecer al ritmo de quienes confían en él.
The first day of voting for Colombians living abroad opened on Monday, May 25th, and almost immediately the complaints began. From Miami to Washington to London, citizens posted photographs and messages on social media describing scenes of chaos: lines stretching for blocks, voting stations staffed by skeleton crews, and hundreds of people turned away when the polls closed at 4 p.m., their right to vote unrealized despite hours of waiting.
In Miami, one woman described arriving early and spending three hours just to reach the initial screening checkpoint—a filter designed to direct voters to their assigned tables. At the consulate's voting stations, she said, only two people were verifying voters. "Manually, they couldn't keep up," she told El Colombiano. She had lived abroad for twelve years and had never seen anything like it. Her plea was direct: the consulates needed to prepare better, hire more staff, organize the voting tables more efficiently.
The timing had worked against the system. In the United States, May 25th fell on Memorial Day, a federal holiday honoring those who died in military service. In London, it coincided with the spring bank holiday. Colombians, perhaps seizing the day off work or simply responding to the start of the overseas voting period, showed up in large numbers. The infrastructure was not ready for them. In Miami, voters complained of too few tables and a sluggish process. In Washington, the problems compounded—not only were there delays and insufficient stations, but some voters reported missing forms, which ground the process to a halt. London saw similar frustrations, with Colombians unable to vote despite waiting in line.
The numbers tell part of the story. The electoral census for Colombians abroad has grown 45 percent since the 2022 presidential election. The United States alone has 454,262 eligible voters, the largest concentration of overseas Colombian voters anywhere. Yet for the first day of voting, the Registraduría—Colombia's electoral authority—deployed only 1,489 voting tables worldwide. By comparison, 2,181 tables would be available on the main election day, May 31st. In England, 35 tables were set up to serve 23,331 voters.
The Registraduría defended itself by noting that voting hours—8 a.m. to 4 p.m.—are set by law, and that the Foreign Ministry is responsible for installing voting stations. The authority also reminded the public that overseas voting continues through Saturday, and in some countries through Sunday, May 31st, giving citizens additional opportunities to cast ballots. Ambassador Laura Sarabia responded to criticism about London specifically, noting that 1,783 Colombians voted there on the first day and that the consulate would remain open all week to guarantee voting rights.
But the damage to confidence was already done. Some voters in the United States even suggested that the delays might have been intentional, a way to suppress turnout. Whether that suspicion had merit or not, the practical result was the same: thousands of Colombians who had made the effort to vote on opening day went home without having cast a ballot. The election continues through the weekend, but the first day revealed a system stretched thin by growth it had not adequately prepared for.
Citas Notables
I've lived abroad for 12 years and never seen anything like this. My call is for the consulates to prepare better, have better logistics, more staff, better organization of the voting tables.— Colombian voter in Miami, speaking to El Colombiano
Today in London, 1,783 Colombians voted. The Consulate was open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with voting tables enabled by the Registraduría, and we will be guaranteeing our citizens' right to vote all week.— Ambassador Laura Sarabia, responding to criticism about voting conditions in London
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why did so many people show up on the very first day if voting runs all week?
The timing was crucial. May 25th was Memorial Day in the U.S. and a spring holiday in the U.K.—days off work. People took advantage of the break. They probably didn't expect the chaos.
But the authorities knew the voting period was a week long. Couldn't they have anticipated higher turnout on a holiday?
That's the tension. The electoral census abroad grew 45 percent since 2022, but the infrastructure didn't scale with it. They deployed fewer than 1,500 tables on day one, knowing they'd need over 2,100 by the main election day. It suggests they weren't prepared for the surge.
What was the actual bottleneck? Was it just too many people, or was the system itself broken?
Both. One woman spent three hours just reaching the initial checkpoint. At Miami's consulate, only two people were verifying voters manually. That's not a system problem—that's an understaffing problem. They didn't hire enough people.
Did anyone in government acknowledge this was a failure?
The Registraduría pointed out that voting continues through the weekend and that the Foreign Ministry handles station setup. The ambassador in London said 1,783 people voted there on day one. But they didn't really address why the first day was so broken.
What happens now?
Voting continues through Saturday, Sunday in some places. People have more chances. But the trust is damaged. Some voters are already questioning whether the delays were deliberate.