🗳(SUN 16NOV25 Referendum Vote to change the 2008 Constitution is the next bump in the road)🛣
05OCT25 - 'CNE sets November referendum and popular consultations for Ecuador- "Ecuadorians will vote on a Constituent Assembly, military bases, party financing, and creation of Borbón canton. Referendum and consultation confirmed for November-The National Electoral Council (CNE) formally launched the electoral process on Thursday, September 25th, setting November 16, 2025, as the date for a nationwide referendum and multiple popular consultations. The decision follows a favorable ruling from the Constitutional Court that cleared the way for President Daniel Noboa’s initiative to ask citizens whether they want to convene a Constituent Assembly to draft a new Constitution.
During a virtual session held at 11:00 a.m., the CNE plenary approved the resolution declaring the start of the process and instructing officials to carry out the necessary technical and operational tasks to unify the referendum with the consultations already on the electoral calendar. Notifications will also be sent to the Presidency, National Assembly, Constitutional Court, Electoral Litigation Tribunal, and other state bodies.
CNE President Diana Atamaint clarified in a radio interview that the vote will not immediately establish a Constituent Assembly but rather determine whether Ecuadorians want to take that first step. “We’re just going to ask the people if that’s what they want regarding the possibility of changing or creating a new Constitution. We’re not even entering a Constituent Assembly yet. That’s a second step,” she said.
Cost and ballot design
The combined referendum and consultations will cost $59 million, according to the electoral authority. Atamaint emphasized that the budget covers the entire process, including two referendum questions and additional consultations. She added that the electoral calendar was approved on September 21st and that ballot design is already underway.
The main constitutional referendum question will ask Ecuadorians:
“Do you agree that a Constituent Assembly be convened and established, whose representatives will be elected by the Ecuadorian people, in accordance with the electoral rules set forth in the attached Constituent Statute, to draft a new Constitution of the Republic, which will enter into force only if subsequently approved by Ecuadorians in a referendum?”
Other issues on the ballot
Alongside the Constituent Assembly question, citizens will also be asked to decide on two additional national issues: whether to allow foreign military bases in Ecuador and whether to maintain state funding for political parties. Both questions involve reforms that directly affect the current 2008 Constitution.
In addition, the CNE approved a popular consultation in Esmeraldas Province on whether Borbón should become a new canton. This local referendum will be held on the same date as the nationwide votes, streamlining the electoral process and reducing costs.
Next steps
With the Court’s endorsement and the CNE’s formal call, Ecuador’s electoral authorities will now work to ensure that the different ballots are ready and distributed on time. The resolution has also mandated publication in the Official Registry and wide dissemination through electronic and digital media.
For the first time since the adoption of the 2008 Constitution, Ecuadorians will have the chance to decide if they want to rewrite the nation’s foundational document through a Constituent Assembly, while at the same time weighing questions of national sovereignty, political financing, and local autonomy in Esmeraldas." - https://www.cne.gob.ec/cne-aprueba-actualizacion-de-diseno-de-papeleta-para-incluir-la-pregunta-sobre-reduccion-de-asambleistas/
