Editing Politics of Costa Rica (section)

== Elections ==
{{main|Elections in Costa Rica}}

On the national level, the [[President of Costa Rica|president]], two [[vice-presidents]] and a [[legislature]] are elected for a four-year term. The [[Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica|Legislative Assembly]] has 57 members, elected by [[proportional representation]] in each of the country's seven provinces.

The electoral process is supervised by an independent Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE for its Spanish initials). The TSE is a commission of three principal magistrates and six alternates selected by the [[Supreme Court of Justice of Costa Rica]]. All elections are conducted by a secret ballot at local polling stations. Voting is mandatory for registered citizens under Article 93 of the [[Constitution of Costa Rica]], but this is not enforced.

On election days, political parties often organize caravans and marches to get supporters to polling stations.<ref name="eltiempo.com">{{cite web| url = http://www.eltiempo.com/mundo/latinoamerica/ARTICULO-WEB-NEW_NOTA_INTERIOR-13432495.html| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140407060348/http://www.eltiempo.com/mundo/latinoamerica/ARTICULO-WEB-NEW_NOTA_INTERIOR-13432495.html| archive-date = 2014-04-07| title = Elecciones en Costa Rica ceden el paso a redes sociales - Noticias de Latinoam rica - Mundo - ELTIEMPO.COM}}</ref> In many areas, voting takes on a festive atmosphere with supporters of each party wearing traditional colors and decorating their cars, houses, and livestock with colored ribbons.<ref name="eltiempo.com"/> Because the day of elections is a national holiday, most people have the day off.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tusalario.org/costarica/portada/derechos-laborales/vacaciones-anuales/trabajo-en-dia-de-elecciones|title = Trabajo en Día de Elecciones}}</ref>