A Penn Schoen & Berland poll of 1,200 eligible voters for the 2004 presidential election, conducted from 24 September-7 October, showed former President Leonel Fernandez (PLD) leading with a more than comfortable margin. The Penn Schoen poll reflects a general rejection of the performance of the government of President Hipolito Mejia.
As reported in El Caribe, the survey shows that Fernandez bested possible PRD presidential candidate President Mejia by 58% to 20%. The PRSC party and its official candidate Eduardo Estrella would reap 14%, according to those figures. If Vice-President Milagros Ortiz Bosch were the candidate for the PRD, Fernandez would receive 58% of the vote, while she would receive 22%, and Estrella would get 15%. If Tourism Minister Rafael Subervi were the candidate, Fernandez would still get 58%, Subervi would obtain 22% and Estrella would get 14%. The PRD has yet to hold its primary to choose its presidential candidate.
The poll showed that 57% plan to vote for the PLD, 26% for the PRD, and 14% for the PRSC. To the question of who the person would vote for if a second round were needed (when none of the candidates received 50%+1 in the first round), 64% of potential voters said they would vote for the PLD, 23% for the PRSC and 12% said they would not vote.
The Penn Schoen poll was funded by anonymous businesspeople. Douglas Schoen, a leading partner of the polling company, traveled to Santo Domingo and announced the results at a press conference held at the Hotel Jaragua yesterday.