Dominican Republic faces rising electoral abstention

Recent electoral data from the Dominican Republic indicates a concerning trend of voter abstention that may be becoming a structural feature of the country’s democracy. While the 2020 dip in participation could be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, the persistence of low turnout in the 2024 elections suggests a deeper crisis of confidence in the political system and a growing distance between citizens and political offerings.

An investigation conducted by the Centro de Asesoría y Promoción Electoral (CAPEL), following recommendations from the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights (IIDH), analyzed both national and overseas voting patterns. The findings show that presidential participation dropped from approximately 67% in 2016 to around 52% in 2020, a level that remained largely unchanged in 2024.

This decline is not limited to a specific demographic; the study suggests that age, generation, and gender are limited factors in explaining the phenomenon, as participation levels remained relatively similar across different groups, including Generation Z and Baby Boomers. Additionally, voters living abroad face unique logistical challenges, but the high rate of abstention within the Dominican Republic itself highlights a broader systemic issue regarding political motivation and leadership.