The Junta Central Electoral has authorized 700 observers for the 16 May election. Of this number, 570 authorizations will be distributed among national institutions per electoral stations. The rest will go to foreign organisations. César Estrella Sadhalá, president of the electoral court, warned that neither the national nor the foreign observers will be able to participate in the closed electoral colleges nor in the carrying out of the vote. The president of the Junta made clear that only the delegates of the political parties are allowed to supervise the election in each of the closed electoral colleges.
Estrella Sadhalá said the number of observers cannot be equal to the number of delegates from the political parties at the stations as these have the full responsibility of supervising the election. Estrella Sadhalá said that the JCE will accredit a maximum of 570 observers for national organizations that so request, while for the international organizations, there will be a limit of 25.
Up to 3 April, the local organisations that have requested to be accredited are the Red de Observadores Electorales that is sponsored by Participación Ciudadana; la Federación Dominicana de Organizaciones Profesionales and the Comité Internacional de Vigilancia Electoral.
During the 1996 election there will be some 10,451 electoral stations throughout the country, of which 3,000 are to be in Santo Domingo.