Colombia’s congressional elections took place in March 2010 and the presidential elections in May of the same year, while regional and local elections were held in October 2011. Just over 30 million Colombians were called upon to decide on who was to take up well over 18,000 positions, for which over 100,000 candidates were vying. The significance of the outcome of the 2011 elections for all parties went beyond the elections themselves.