“As a child on election day, my routine was accompanying my grandmother to the polling station and, in the last years when her eyesight began to fail, supporting her in the process. She would get up early and prepare “burritas” (two tortillas with beans, egg, and cheese, arranged like a sandwich) to take with us and eat while we waited in line. Elections were an important day for her because, while fulfilling her civic duty, she would get to meet up with her friends from the neighborhood, whom she loved spending time with. ”

This is the story told to us by Raul, one of the volunteers on ASJ’s Democracy in Action program, currently doing his professional internship in ASJ’s Transparency and Democracy department.

Many of us young people have similar stories to this one when we are asked: how do we experience elections? Without realizing it, our parents and grandparents have instilled in us the importance of participating responsibly in electing our authorities and thus deciding the course of our country. This was how, in the 2021 elections, young people were the segment of the population that defined the result of the electoral process, which reached one of the highest levels of participation (68%) in the history of Honduras.

In previous electoral processes, ASJ has encouraged youth participation beyond voting. Observation, communications and advocacy strategies have  been promoted during the three stages that make up the electoral process: the pre-electoral stage when preparatory activities are carried out; on election day when citizens go to the polls and vote; and finally, the post-electoral stage which includes the counting of votes, the review of possible irregularities and the declaration of the new authorities.

Specifically, in 2021, through the Informed Vote initiative, 1,273 national observers participated— deployed in 17 of the country’s 18 departments. The young volunteers were recruited through social networks and were subsequently trained to collect the required data and input.

In 2025, Honduras will once again undergo an electoral process to elect the president of the country, as well as the municipal mayors and the deputies of the National Congress, who exercise the legislative power. The electoral process will consist of two stages: the first, called the internal elections and primaries, will be held on March 9, 2025. Its objective is for each political party to choose the candidates who will participate in the subsequent general elections, which will be held on November 28 of the same year.

This year, in addition to our regular advocacy work, ASJ is also coordinating the Network for the Defense of Democracy, which is an alliance of NGOs, youth, women, Catholic and Evangelical churches, universities and private companies. This alliance represents a unique and innovative initiative that is bringing together diverse sectors of society to work together in advocacy, electoral observation, and overall social auditing that we hope will increase the fairness and transparency of this electoral process. Included in the actions we will carry out is the participation of 10,000 young people, just like Raul, who are willing to continue stepping up to defend democracy in Honduras.