For months there have been newspaper articles, television commentators, and many radio shows dedicated to the process of changing the ubiquitous national identification card known as the “cédula.” Now, the head of the Central Electoral Board (JCE), Roman Jaquez Liranzo, has give the public a chronograph of what and when things will happen.
First off, the new ID card, that also serves as a voter registration card, will start being printed I this coming October and November 2025. The technical aspects of the card are currently undergoing a final technical evaluation, and the final report is due this week at the latest.
Once this phase is complete, the conditions are in place to open Envelope B which contains the economic offers, and at the end of this month or at the beginning of July, the international tender will conclude and the JCE will look at three consortiums ad their offers.
What is most important for the population is the timeline for the document. According to the head of the JCE, beginning in the fall, the new documents will be ready for delivery, and people are supposed to get the new card during the month of their birth. So, in October or November 2025, the 347 offices that are equipped to issue the new cedulas will issue cedulas to those that are born during that month.
By December 2026 everyone should have their new cedula, since 2027 is a pre-election year. It should be remembered that during the process both the current document will be in use as well as the new document. By January 2027, everyone should have the new cedula.
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El Caribe
9 June 2025