Cuban citizens may vote if they have resided for two years on the island, are over sixteen years old, and have not been found guilty of a criminal offense.

No political party, including the Communist Party of Cuba, is permitted to nominate or campaign for any candidate. However, since the Communist Party is the only legal party in Cuba, it is extremely difficult, if not next to impossible, to gain political clout without becoming a member of the Communist Party. Candidates are nominated at local levels by the local population at small "Town Hall" type meetings.