Dominican Republic 2024 Elections: What documents do you need to vote?

The Dominican Republic celebrates general elections this Sunday, May 19. Citizens will head to the polls to elect the country’s next president and vice president, as well as representatives in Congress.

Although different positions will be chosen, without a doubt, the presidential shortlist is the one that attracts the most attention.

A total of nine candidates are competing in the presidential race, including Luis Abinader of the Modern Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Moderno - PRM), Abel Martínez, of the Party of the Dominican Liberation (Partido de la Liberación Dominicana - PLD), Leonel Fernández of People’s Force (Fuerza del Pueblo - FP), and Miguel Vargas of the Dominican Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario Dominicano - PRD).

The rest of the candidates include María Teresa Cabrera of the Broad Front (Frente Amplio - FA), Virginia Antares Rodríguez, of the Democratic Option (Opción Democrática - OP), Fulgencio Severino of the Fatherland For All Movement (Movimiento Patria Para Todos - MPPT), Pastor Carlos Peña Generation of Servants (Generación de Servidores - GS) and Roque Espaillat, of the Democratic Hope Party (Partido Esperanza Democrática - PED).

This year, 8,145,548 people are eligible to vote, including 7,281,763 Dominicans within the country and 863,785 abroad, mainly in the United States. We explain what is needed to vote.

What documents are needed to vote in the Dominican Republic elections?

Citizens who are registered on the electoral roll must go in person to cast their vote. In order to vote, they must present their current identity and electoral card. According to the Central Electoral Board (JCE), people with expired cards can participate in the elections.

Once you arrive at your voting center, the officials will confirm in the registry if you are authorized to vote and if so, they will give you three ballots with the letters “P”, “S” and “D”, which correspond to the Presidency, Senate and Provincial Representatives, respectively.

Here we explain in more detail how to vote from the United States or abroad.

This is how you can locate your voting center

The JCE has a tool where you can verify the precinct where you must go to vote. The only thing you have to do is enter your ID number and electoral college and check the box, then just click on the “verify precinct” option and the corresponding electoral college will appear. Voting hours are 7:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

If no presidential candidate receives 50% +1 of the valid votes in the first round, a “second round” is held between the two candidates who obtained the most votes in the first round.

Remember that Sunday, May 19, 2024 is a non-working day for all citizens to vote. Additionally, starting from 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 18 until 5:00 a.m. on Monday the 20th the dry law will be imposed.