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11 clusters · 65 sources · 71 days · First seen 3 months ago · Last updated 7 days ago

Dominican Republic JCE scrutiny over spending and polls

Overview

The Dominican Republic’s Central Electoral Board (JCE) continues to face scrutiny over its international spending and regulatory decisions. Between January 2025 and July 2026, the JCE spent approximately US$529,438 on 71 official missions, with five titular members accounting for 96.9% of these costs. Critics, including Nirka de la Rosa, have challenged the US$800 daily per diem rate, noting it exceeds the monthly minimum wage in Spain. Specifically, magistrates Hirayda Marcelle Fernández Guzmán and Samir Rafael Chami Isa each received US$12,000 in per diems for a 15-day cybersecurity mission in Spain. Regarding electoral regulations, the JCE provisionally suspended an article of Resolution 14-2026 that prohibited publishing opinion polls outside of official periods, following a challenge by Justicia Sin Fronteras. The board described this as a “provisional, temporal and exceptional” measure pending judicial review. Additionally, the political party Opción Democrática has proposed restructuring electoral districts to address the upcoming reduction of the Chamber of Deputies in 2028.

To address administrative needs, the JCE has significantly expanded its identity card (cédula) renewal efforts. Following the inauguration of a high-tech biometric service center at the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD), the JCE launched mobile operations in late 2026 to reach remote communities and the diaspora. By mid-October 2026, the JCE reached a milestone, announcing that Eduard Mercedes Rosario became the fourth million citizen to receive the new identity card.

In an effort to further support the diaspora, the JCE announced on October 20, 2026, that it will update procedures at its overseas offices starting November 2. The board will eliminate the mandatory appointment system in 18 international locations, moving to a first-come, first-served model. In 23 other high-demand locations—including New York, New Jersey, Miami, Madrid, and Milan—a hybrid model will be implemented, allowing citizens to choose between scheduled appointments or walk-in service.

Entities

Junta Central Electoral · Dominican Republic · Román Jáquez Liranzo · Hirayda Marcelle Fernández Guzmán · Tribunal Superior Electoral

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] Eduard Mercedes Rosario is the fourth million citizen to receive the new identity card.
[● 3 SOURCES] The old identity card format will no longer be accepted for official procedures after April 1, 2027.
[● 3 SOURCES] Citizens should renew their documents early to avoid long queues expected in early 2027.
[● 2 SOURCES] The JCE has provisionally suspended an article of its regulations that prohibited the publication of electoral polls outside of pre-campaign and campaign periods.
[● 2 SOURCES] The regulation regarding the registration and authorization of polling companies, technical requirements, and methodology remains in force.
[○ 1 SOURCE] Justicia Sin Fronteras filed an appeal against the poll restrictions before the Superior Electoral Tribunal (TSE).
[○ 1 SOURCE] The TSE declared itself incompetent to rule on the merits of the appeal, citing it as a matter for the Constitutional Court.
[○ 1 SOURCE] There are 8,730,372 citizens eligible to renew their identity documents.
[○ 1 SOURCE] 4,009,576 citizens have already received the new identity card.

Timeline

7 days ago

[POLITICS] 10 sources
Dominican Republic Central Electoral Board updates overseas office procedures
The Dominican Republic's JCE is removing mandatory appointments in 18 overseas offices and introducing a hybrid appointment/walk-in model in 23 others starting November 2.
8 days ago

[POLITICS] 2 sources
Dominican Republic's JCE implements new civil registry fees and ID collection
The Dominican Republic's JCE has introduced a RD$600 fee for unified civil registry documents and urged specific groups, including military and foreign residents, to collect their new identity cards.
10 days ago

[POLITICS] 19 sources
JCE launches mobile ID renewal and youth civic workshops
The Dominican Republic's JCE is conducting mobile identity card renewal operations and launching civic education workshops for young first-time voters to promote democratic participation.
13 days ago

[POLITICS] 15 sources
JCE reaches 4 million identity card renewals in Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic's JCE has issued four million new identity cards and warns that the old format will be invalid after April 1, 2027, potentially causing civil inhabilitation for those who do not renew.
about 1 month ago

[INTERNATIONAL] 2 sources
Junta Central Electoral to hold mobile ID operations in Atlantic City
The Dominican Central Electoral Board will hold mobile ID issuance and renewal operations in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on the 22nd and 23rd to serve the local Dominican community.
about 1 month ago

[POLITICS] 2 sources
Junta Central Electoral launches mobile ID services in Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic's Junta Central Electoral is deploying mobile units to remote communities to facilitate identity card renewals and document delivery.
about 2 months ago

[POLITICS] 9 sources
Dominican Republic electoral reforms and new ID center
The Opción Democrática party has proposed electoral district reforms to the JCE, while the UASD and JCE opened a new biometric center for immediate national ID card issuance.
about 2 months ago

[POLITICS] 17 sources
Junta Central Electoral updates ID renewal rules and survey regulations
The Dominican Republic's JCE has suspended restrictions on publishing electoral surveys, opened a new ID renewal center at UASD, and set a March 2027 deadline for cédula renewals.
2 months ago

[POLITICS] 3 sources
Junta Central Electoral travel spending questioned by Dominican groups in Spain
Dominican organizations in Spain are criticizing the JCE for spending RD$32.3 million on travel and US$800 daily per diems for officials during international missions.
2 months ago

[POLITICS] 10 sources
Dominican Republic JCE faces scrutiny over travel costs and poll regulations
The Dominican Republic's JCE faces scrutiny over RD$32 million in travel expenses and a controversial new regulation prohibiting early electoral polls, while the Constitutional Court settles party funding rules
3 months ago

[POLITICS] 4 sources
Dominican Republic JCE spent over US$529,000 on foreign missions
The Dominican Republic's Central Electoral Board spent over US$529,000 on international travel and per diems between 2025 and 2026, with most airfare costs attributed to business class tickets.

Sources

ahoranoticiasrd.com · almomento.net · atento.com.do · bavaronews.com · bellerdigital.net · bonaocity.com.do · canaldelamona.com · ciudadmcy.info.ve · cre.com.ec · cronicaviva.com.pe · dajabonenlinea.net · deultimominuto.net · diario55.com · diarioazua.com · diariodigitaldominicano.com · diariofinanciero.do · diariolibre.com · diarionoticias.do · diariosocialrd.com · dominicanaaldia.com · dominicanoshoy.com · dr1.com · ecosdelsur.net.do · elatlantico.do · elcorreord.com · eldia.com.do · elinformante.com.do · elmercurio.com.ec · elmotin.com.do · elnacional.com.do · elnuevodiario.com.do · elpaisdominicano.do · elpregonerord.com · eltiempomx.com · eluniversaldigital.net · ensegundos.do · fernandoplaceres.com · finalweapon.net · guayacanalrd.com · hoy.com.do · lan103fm.com · lanoticiasv.com · lavidamarcha.com · loultimodigital.com · mayacomunicacion.com.mx · mediodigitalrd.com · montecristinoticias.com · n.com.do

This summary has been updated 13 times: see revision history