Dominican Republic JCE spent over US$529,000 on foreign missions

The Dominican Republic’s Central Electoral Board (JCE) spent a total of US$529,438.19 on airfare, per diems, and out-of-pocket expenses for official foreign missions between January 2025 and July 24, 2026.

According to documents obtained via public information requests, JCE members participated in 71 individual trips across 23 countries and territories, totaling 472 days abroad. The five titular members of the board accounted for 96.9% of the total expenditure. A significant portion of the budget was allocated to high-end travel, with US$343,600 spent on per diems and US$185,838.19 on airfare. Notably, 97.3% of the airfare costs (US$180,950.56) were for business class or mixed-class tickets, while only US$4,887.63 was spent on economy class.

One specific mission in March 2026 involved two members traveling to Switzerland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain for 14 days to discuss the establishment of Electoral Logistics Coordination Offices (Oclee). This single mission cost US$35,922.60, including US$22,400 in per diems and US$13,522.60 for business class airfare. The expenditure has drawn attention due to low voter turnout among Dominicans living in those regions during the 2024 elections, where only 26.44% of registered voters participated.