While there is more to democracy than elections, a truly democratic electoral system is essential. It must be one that is free of the corrupting influence of the "money men." And one in which all citizens have an equal opportunity to win public office regardless of their (or their backers') economic circumstances. True democracy is not possible otherwise. Here we will begin to examine the Cuban electoral system in outline.
There are three levels of government in Cuba: municipal, provincial and national. Large cities like Havana and Santiago are divided into several municipalities. Citizen voters are represented by delegates to popular assemblies at each of these three levels. Each delegate must have the support of the majority, as expressed through a secret ballot, in their respective electoral districts. The Municipal Assemblies send delegates to both the Provincial and National Assemblies, subject, of course, to voters' approval for each individual candidate.
The 601-member National Assembly elects from its membership, the 31-member Council of State and as well as President of the Council of State. The Council is the highest representative of the Cuban state for national and international purposes. The President of the Council of State, currently Fidel Castro, is the Cuban head of state.
Elections for delegates by a free and secret ballot are held at 2.5 year intervals for the Municipal Assemblies and at five year intervals for delegates to the Provincial and National Assemblies .
Candidates for the various popular assemblies are nominated by the people themselves at small public meetings in each neighbourhood. All of the Municipal Assemblies are nominated in this way. As are nearly half of the Provincial and National Assemblies, the others being nominated by the Municipal Assemblies in consultation with various mass organizations including federations of workers, farmers, women and students.
Once elected by secret ballot, representatives or delegates are subject to recall and are accountable to the electorate throughout their term in office. And it costs nothing to run for public office at any level.
While the Communist Party of Cuba is the only legally sanctioned party there, it plays no role in the electoral process. By law, it can neither nominate nor, in any way, endorse any individual candidates.
The first phase of the electoral process is the election of delegates to the Municipal Assemblies (every 2.5 years). Candidates for delegates to the Municipal Assemblies are nominated by the people themselves at neighbourhood meetings throughout the country. Each municipality is divided into electoral districts or constituencies of about 500 inhabitants. At least two candidates for the Assembly will be nominated in each constituency. One delegate will be elected by secret ballot to represent that constituency. In the event that no candidate attains a majority of the vote, a runoff is held between the top finishing candidates. Sometimes an additional runoff may be necessary before a majority is attained.
Several months after the municipal elections, the second phase of the electoral process takes place: the election of delegates to the Provincial and National Assemblies (every 5 years). The candidates are nominated by the Municipal Assemblies, almost half of them already being members of their respective Municipal Assemblies. Unlike the municipal elections, there is only one candidate for each seat, since only the Municipal Assembly can nominate a candidate. Several (typically 4 or 5) delegates will represent each electoral district, however.
In provincial and national elections, voters can accept or reject any or all candidates on the ballot. If any candidate fails to get a majority of the votes, another candidate must be put forward and another election held soon afterwards. Far from being a factor limiting democracy then, the one-party system seems to have enabled Cuba to evolve into a higher form of democracy that rivals that found anywhere else for responsiveness to the working-class majority.