Hoy newspaper publishes today a poll showing Partido Revolucionario Dominicano presidential candidate Hipólito Mejía far in the lead. This is the first poll of a series that will be published by the newspaper. Elections are still seven months away. The newspaper’s poll was carried out by Hamilton, Beattie & Staff, a leading Washington,D.C.-based poll firm. Pollsters asked the queston, "In case the elections to elect the President of the Dominican Republic were held today, and the candidates were as follows, for whom would you vote?" 46% said they would vote for Hipólito Mejía (PRD); 23% would vote for Danilo Medina (PLD), 20% for Joaquín Balaguer (PRSC), 11% said for no one. 93-year old Balaguer has not yet announced he is running. When voters were asked for which party they would vote, they responded: 50% PRD, 22% PLD, and 17% (PRSC). 10% said they did not know. The poll was held 17-22 September, and 1,000 persons were interviewed. In the Dominican Republic, a presidential candidate needs to secure 50%+1 of the vote to win in a first round. If this is not accomplished, a second round is held.
