The visit to the electoral court was very interesting. The fourth power, allegedly independent from the government, is something like the Supreme Court in the United States. A group that meets to organize, supervise, direct, and administer the electoral processes. They do so in a fairly simple room, where we got to meet the other day. The court currently consists of four women and three men. It is mandated that there be at least three women and two indigenous people on the court.
     I have several questions about this institution, first regarding pressures from the government on an independent body. How do MAS and Morales view the electoral court? Do they ever collaborate? Has Morales taken measures to limit their power? At one point, a member shared with us that her most difficult time has been the referendum. They felt strong pressure from all sides. I wonder in what manner and from whom explicitly? How did the court come to a conclusion on such a controversial issue and how did the Morales administration react?
     Another question that arose was surrounding the fact that this country has mandatory voting. Not only that, but the voting process itself is rather complicated. People are required to present birth certificates, fingerprints, proof of residence documents, and more. How does this affect voter turnout? I would like to see a test comparing voter turnout from before the requirement was enacted and at several years after. Furthermore, I would be interested to see if more indigenous people have voted since the implementation of this policy, as well as the proportions of voters who are rural or urban residents. With such a complicated process, does this voting process provide a sample that is representative of the Bolivian population? I am curious to learn more about this fourth extension of the government and about the voting process in Bolivia and its implications.