The Electoral Commission

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The Electoral Commission​

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Established to introduce democracy to the Dominican Republic, the Electoral Commission is a permanent organisation independent of the central government. The Electoral Commission is tasked with introducing democratic and electoral regulations and procedures, as well as enforcing said regulation and procedures.


2004 Election Timeline
Pre-April 2004 - Political parties permitted to form and elect their party leaders and electoral candidates.
1st April 2004 - Election process officially begins. Political parties officially register their intention to participate in the election with the Electoral Commission
End April 2004 - Electoral Commission announce the list of political parties participating in the election.
1st May 2004 - Political parties to begin official campaigns for the upcoming election.
1st June 2004 - Election takes place. The electorate goes to the polling stations to cast their vote. Political campaigning ceases.
2nd June 2004 - The results of the Presidential, Senate and Chamber of Deputies election is announced.
3rd June 2004 - Elected President, Senators and Members of the Chamber take office.



Polling Stations
There will be 9,500 polling stations open across the Dominican Republic on election day. Over 35,000 polling station staff will work to make sure elections are free, fair and open to all. Internationally, embassies and consulates will host polling stations for Dominican citizens abroad to participate in the election.



Electoral Commission Police

• Polling Police - 23,750 Electoral Commission police will be active and on duty on election day.
• Politically neutral police of the Electoral Commission, answering only to the Electoral Commission and independent of the transitional government
• Separate from the National Police Force
• Actively patrolling polling stations across the Dominican Republic, enforcing regulations set by the Electoral Commission, and preventing rigging of votes, hostile voting pressures and political campaigning within the immediate area around the polling stations.
• Granted with the powers of arrest.

Voting Procedures and Administrative Divisions.

• Presidential: Elected via FPTP; Direct by popular vote, requires 51% of vote. If not, a second round is called with the 2 most popular candidates.
• Senate (Upper House): Elected via FPTP - The 32 members of the Senate are elected from the 31 provinces and the Distrito Nacional
• Chamber of Deputies (Lower House): Elected via PR - The 190 members of the Chamber of Deputies are elected in three groups; 178 are elected by proportional representation from 32 multi-member constituencies based on the 31 provinces and the Distrito Nacional, with the number of seats based on the population of each province. A further 7 members are elected by proportional representation by Dominican expatriates in overseas constituencies, and five seats are allocated at the national level to parties that received at least 1% of the vote nationally, giving preference to those that did not win any of the 178 constituency seats.
  • Overseas Constituencies: Seven representatives are elected by the Dominican diaspora: two to represent Dominicans living in the Caribbean and Latin America, two for Europe, and three for Canada and the United States.
  • Distrito Nacional: 18 seats
  • Azua: 4 seats
  • Bahoruco: 2 seats
  • Barahona: 3 seats
  • Dajabón: 2 seats
  • Duarte: 5 seats
  • El Seibo: 2 seats
  • Elías Piña: 2 seats
  • Espaillat: 4 seats
  • Hato Mayor: 2 seats
  • Hermanas Mirabal: 2 seats
  • Independencia: 2 seats
  • La Altagracia: 5 seats
  • La Romana: 4 seats
  • La Vega: 7 seats
  • María Trinidad Sánchez: 3 seats
  • Monseñor Nouel: 3 seats
  • Monte Cristi: 2 seats
  • Monte Plata: 3 seats
  • Pedernales: 2 seats
  • Peravia: 3 seats
  • Puerto Plata: 6 seats
  • Samaná: 2 seats
  • San Cristóbal: 10 seats
  • San José de Ocoa: 2 seats
  • San Juan: 4 seats
  • San Pedro de Macorís: 5 seats
  • Sánchez Ramírez: 3 seats
  • Santiago: 18 seats
  • Santiago Rodríguez: 2 seats
  • Santo Domingo: 43 seats
  • Valverde: 3 seats
  • Overseas: 7 seats
  • More than 1%: 5 seats