589,497 Dominicans have registered to vote abroad in the 17 May 2020 presidential elections, according to a report in El Caribe. 68% of the expat vote is in the United States with 401,117 eligible voters. Dominican voters in Spain are next with 13% of the vote, or 81,093 registered voters. Dominicans in Puerto Rico are next with 35,209 voters for 5.97%, followed by those in Italy with 14,498, and in Panama with 11,174 voters. Historically, about 50% of those registered to vote actually vote.
The foreign electoral district is regarded as the fourth largest in the country. It is only surpassed by Santo Domingo province with 1,654,754 voters; the National District, 854,602 voters; Santiago, 838,428. San Cristóbal is in fifth place, with 431,750 voters.
In addition to direct voting, Dominicans abroad could have a great impact on voting because they are the main economic support for many families in the country, El Caribe reports.
In the 2016 elections, in the expat vote the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) defeated the ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) by a slight margin.
Local polls have not taken into account the vote intention of the expat voters. Dominican living abroad have been voting in national elections since 2004.
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El Caribe
5 March 2020