When Hondurans went to the polls on Nov. 30, 2025, the country stood at a crossroads. After months of tension—and troubling signs during March primary elections—many feared that the general election could descend into chaos.

Instead, Honduras witnessed one of the most peaceful and participatory elections in its history, due in large part to the presence of thousands of trained election observers mobilized by civil society organizations, including ASJ.

Causes for Concern

Concerns about the integrity of the process were not unfounded. During the March primaries, observers documented serious irregularities: ballots delivered to the wrong locations, and distribution delays that left many voting centers without ballots until as late as 9 p.m. on the election day. By midafternoon of the primary, about two out of three observers had reported problems with ballot arrival or distribution. 

In response, ASJ and its partners within the Network to Defend Democracy undertook an unprecedented effort to protect the integrity of November’s general election. More than 12,000 volunteer national observers were recruited, trained, and deployed to polling stations covering approximately 85 percent of the country. These observers were largely drawn from Protestant and Catholic churches within the network, as well as from the Honduran equivalent of the U.S. and Canadian Chambers of Commerce, the Honduran Council of Private Enterprise (COHEP). 

The observers verified that poll workers were looking for proper identification and fingerprint scans, along with other safeguards that were established to prevent fraud. 

“Having all of those observers is why things remain peaceful right now,” said Kurt Ver Beek, ASJ cofounder and Calvin University sociology professor emeritus. “This is the narrative in all of the media right now. The contingent of thousands of observers resulted in a lack of ability of people who wanted to manipulate or carry out fraud.”

That peace was visible across the country. Peter Heslinga observed the election firsthand as one of 30 ASJ international observers. 

“I was struck by the complexity of protecting transparent, free, and fair elections,” Peter said. “This work is logistical, anticipatory, attentive, reflective, physical, prayerful - a labor of faith and hope with present-day and enduring importance.”

Lydia Heslinga, Peter’s daughter, also attended the elections as an international observer. 

“The experience made me want to continue to be involved in the important justice work that ASJ does, including the support of democracy,” she said. “Hopefully I’ll be back in four years!”

Too Close to Call

Pre-election polls had suggested a clear outcome, with Liberal Party candidate Salvador Nasralla holding a 10-point lead over National Party candidate Tito Asfura, and the ruling Libre Party’s candidate trailing far behind. But the race tightened dramatically in the final days after U.S. President Donald Trump publicly endorsed Asfura and announced a pardon for former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández. Hernández was serving a 45-year sentence in the United States and is a member of Asfura’s National Party. Warnings that U.S. support would be withdrawn if Asfura lost prompted some voters to shift allegiances.

As of this writing, the electoral council in Honduras is still counting ballots. With roughly 99 percent of ballots counted, the margin between the top two candidates is just 42,400 votes. Honduran law allows election authorities until the end of the month to certify final results. 

In the meantime, ASJ’s Carlos Hernández has met with both leading candidates, urging them to accept the outcome of what observers widely regard as a clean election. Both candidates have pledged to do so, giving hope to Hernandez and ASJ as they seek to work with whoever is ultimately elected to improve the country for the most vulnerable people there.

“This is where we remember that we need God,” Hernández concluded. “We need his power and wisdom to move forward. Please pray for us.”