Dry law in Dominican Republic elections 2024: when does the prohibition of alcohol sales and consumption begin?

This Sunday, May 19, General Elections will be held in the Dominican Republic. This year, citizens have the task of electing the next president and vice president of the country, as well as representatives in Congress.

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).

According to the Central Electoral Board, this year, 8,145,548 people are eligible to vote, including 7,281,763 Dominicans within the country and 863,785 abroad, the majority residing in the United States.

You may be interested in: How to vote from the USA and abroad in the General Elections of the Dominican Republic 2024?

When does dry law begin in the Dominican Republic?

As established by the electoral law, before, during and after the elections, the sale of alcohol is prohibited. This is known as the “Dry Law.”

“From twenty-four (24) hours before the election, no alcoholic beverages may be sold or distributed for any purpose, until twelve hours after the voting ends,” article 232 of the Organic Law of the Electoral Regime states.

The only exceptions to the rule apply to those hotels that are located in tourist areas, which “must be duly identified by the Central Electoral Board, together with the organizations accredited by the official agencies that group these establishments.”

This year, Prohibition has started from 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 18 and will continue until 5:00 a.m. on Monday, May 20.

Locate your polling station to vote

The JCE has a tool where you can verify the precinct where you should go to vote. The only thing you have to do is enter the identification and electoral card number and check the box, then just click on the “verify precinct” option and the corresponding polling station will appear.

Voting hours this May 19 are from 7:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

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, 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.