San Salvador Candidates to the City Hall and their religious rites during the election day, El Salvador.

The Salvadoran democracy is far from underestimating the importance of the religious values, although the state is secular salvadorean people is still religious, and its something to be taken in consideration in the elections. It was assumed that religion in secular states would diminish in importance with the separation of church and state, but religion continues to play a major political role. Candidates seek to reflect the religious values ​​of the people, maybe, because they think that they can recieve political benefits in returns.

This situation forces religious demonstrations by politicians, legislators or governors, who attend church or worship, and try to win the sympathy of potential voters. Candidates seeking leave no doubt  about their commitment and Christian values ​​and the experience of the Christian faith or relationship with God. In this scenary they also are careful when topics like abortion or homosexuality, because these are important topics in the elections.

Candidates for mayor in San Salvador include in their itinerary participation in a religious ceremony on the day of the vote, This step is almost inescapable, in the last three elections only in 2006 the candidate of ARENA show are no records of religious attendance the day of elections. Without this exception, all candidates have gone to a religious ceremony on the day of the vote. Will the upcoming vote for these candidates continue to take into account the religious? According to the report IUDOP No 126 86.1% of people identify with any religion in El Salvador. Carlos Rivas Zamora, former mayor of San Salvador 2003-2006 a day before the mayoral election in which year he was elected. "I will go to church very early and then go for my vote"

Participation Box religious acts of the candidates for mayor of San Salvador.

	2003	2006	2009
ARENA	Mass in San Jose de la Montana 7:00 a.m.	No records	Praying  with Catholics and evangelical pastors 7:20 a.m.
FMLN	Mass Basilica of Our Lady of Fatima Mass 6:00 a.m.	Metropolitan Cathedral Mass 10:15 a.m.	Metropolitan Cathedral Mass 7:00 a.m.

Source: Based on the Newspapers "El Diario de Hoy" and "La prensa gráfica" publications the day after each election.