The Junta Central Electoral, the government body in charge of organizing presidential, congressional and municipal elections, says the main parties agree on the changes in the voting ballot that would give more power to the people. The Junta announced that the parties favor a ballot that would permit voters to choose a senator from one party, and a deputy from another. The new ballots would also allow voters to elect a mayor from one party, and aldermen from another. El Caribe newspaper reports that this reduces the dominance of the political parties, transferring power to the people. The new system allows for closed and unblocked lists of candidates. Up until now, the parties chose the candidate lists. Those listed at the top were the ones to be elected, depending on the number of total votes the party received. This caused tension within the parties, as aspirants to posts struggled to be listed at the top. The JCE says they expect the new system to be implemented in the 2002 congressional and municipal election.
