Voter identity cards (known locally as “cedulas”) expiring in 2004 will continue to be valid until 2008, says a report in the Listin Diario today. While there is no need to have these cards renewed, any person wishing to have obtain a duplicate of their present cedula may do so voluntarily at the JCE offices, in order to avoid problems when travelling or conducting banking transactions where the document is required. The head of the cedulas department, Juan Carlos Sanchez, explained that their internal systems automatically update the expiry dates on duplicate cards to read 2008.
This decision stems from an amendment made to the law that says voter identity cards should be valid for a period of 10 years, instead of the previously mandated six. This change took effect in 1998 when the JCE gave the cards a new look by changing their color from blue to yellow.