The Chamber of Deputies declared the bill to be urgent and they approved the legislative proposal to install the preferential vote for the election of deputies to the National Congress, the city council members in the cities and the members of the municipal districts after two readings yesterday, Wednesday 11 September. The deputies accepted a report presented by the Central Electoral Board (JCE) commission that is chaired by Karen Ricardo. In the first reading the bill was approved by 131 votes in favor and 11 against. In the second reading it was passed with 121 votes in favor and 14 against. It now goes to the Senate for its consideration.
The legislative initiative presented by PRSC Deputy Pedro Botello was widely debated. Nevertheless, a proposal by Jose Paliza, which would allow voters to vote for one candidate for deputy from one party and a senator from another party, was rejected.
For the purposes of this law, the preferential vote is done by means of closed and unblocked lists which will allow voters to select their preferred candidate without regard to the position that the candidate has on the list proposed by the political party. At present the preferential vote is instituted by the JCE based on Article 120 of the Electoral Law.