El voto de opinión en Bogotá: a critical view

Abstract

When it comes to electoral affairs, Bogota has been characterized throughout the last two decades as a singular voting district in Colombia where independent voting prevails. This article criticizes this depiction of Bogota's electoral reality by analyzing three fallacies which have facilitated the expansion of such representation: (i) Bogota's urban voting, is relatively homogeneous and compact when compared to the rest of the country, (ii) Voters of Bogota cast an independent type of vote whereas countryside districts cast a patronage type of vote, (iii) The prevailing status of independent voting in Bogota confirms the elimination of traditional bi-partisan practices.