16 May 2008 Election Day reports

[cdiaz18]

http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/loc...ted-9-to-10-pm

[cdiaz18]

Originally Posted by cdiaz18

Good afternoon.
I'm watching some of the Dominican channels via the Internet and they are mainly talking about the top political figures that have already voted.
According to the JCE we won get any official word on anything until at least 9pm.
They urged all the political parties to not proclaim victory until it is pronounced by the JCE.
So be patient because we may be waiting until the end of the night for results.

http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/loc...ted-9-to-10-pm

[sylindr]

Originally Posted by KaliEyes

Canadian here...would love to have detailed descriptions of what the atmosphere is like in the DR today due to the election! The DR, from what I've been told, spends a lot of time being 'quiet' and then I was also told there are a lot of parties too....anyone want to elaborate further - would love to be able to envision this clearly.

Just spoke to boyfriend in La Union....they are having a party. Brothers and sisters all go home to mom's house to vote because they don't bother to change their voting stations. so they have all gone and voted and now drinking and enjoying each others company.

[Dolores]

Excitement in the air

The day many have been waiting for has arrived and emotions are high as pollers head to the booths. DR1 election correspondents explain that thus far Election Day has been extremely organized and calm in many of the polling areas in Santo Domingo. Election police have been stationed around the city, and the major polling areas. Traffic has been refreshingly calm, though public transport vehicles are running their normal routes, helping to get voters to the polls. An early morning drive through Santo Domingo's Colonial Zone and Gazcue areas revealed that there is excitement in the air. Some pollers interviewed either profess their support for one of the candidates or explain that they just want the elections to be over, arguing that either way the status quo will continue. After a bus ride around Santo Domingo, hoping to get a feel of the situation, correspondent Lu Olivero reports that many Dominicans are split between PRD candidate Miguel Vargas Maldonado and PLD candidate Leonel Fernandez, while recognizing that the one candidate that will have the most to win is PRSC candidate Amable Aristy Castro, especially if the election goes into a second round. Olivero reports that voters, however, have grown tired of the constant campaigning, and those who seem indifferent about the voting process voiced the hope that Fernandez win in the first round in order to avoid two more months of campaigning.

[Dolores]

DR1 correspondent Thomas Murray, a first time voter in Dominican elections explained his voting experience today. Murray explained that things were very organized. "It was my first time voting. When I went in I had no idea what I was doing but I almost didn't have to ask questions, as people came up to me and walked me right through the process. I was in and out in less than five minutes." Murray explained that it was a great feeling to vote considering that he is a new citizen to the DR. He says that being Dominican is part of his family history and it was great to exercise his right to vote, as an actual Dominican citizen. The young voter sighted differences in his Dominican and US voting experiences saying that "the difference (between the US and DR) I notice and what I admire is the distance Dominicans travel to vote and you compare that to US voters and I admire Dominicans because many are inconvenienced and some travel far and they are going out to vote anyway, and how many people in the US don't go out to vote at all?" Speaking on the ballot Murray said that he didn't realize how many times the candidates where on the ballot. He says he saw Leonel on the ballot about nine times. "On a personal note, since I was a kid growing up in the US I wanted to know about my Dominican culture. My work is here, I live here and I am now a citizen it was a unique experience to be able to exercise a right to vote as a true Dominican."

[Dolores]

The JCE reports that it will hold a ceremony at 8pm prior to announcing the results of the first bulletin. The nine JCE judges, international and national electoral registered observers, foreign diplomats, representatives of civil society organizations and the press have been invited. The event will take place at the Auditorium of the Central Electoral Board headquarters, in the press area -- first floor.

[Dolores]

Very quiet. In the barrios, gatherings around the colmados, not so much the colmadones that are closed -- people go there to drink. But expect the city to become very lively for the evenings as friends gather at friends and family homes, and at the colmadones to wait for the results. I think most people are sure that Fernandez will be ahead, but there is still a slight doubt that he will get the needed 50%+1 vote to spare the country the expense and more days of politics into the second round on 30 June.
My husband and I will be at a friend's house and I have prepared a "cocido" to wait out the results.

[Matilda]

We have everything ready for a Sancocho and am expecting hordes of people later! It is very quiet here and the guys at the colmado that went to vote got much much quicker than expected as the queues were small, Don't know if it is because the voters will be spread out all day, or because less people are voting!

Matilda

[mariaobetsanov]

I have been in el Cruce Ysalgez in Licey to vote again the purple plague is buying votes. The area within the cross roads is a full of men paying for votes. Is there any law to persecute these criminals that seems to take over a presidential elections. Security should be establish within 300 ft from pooling stations.

[cobraboy]

I went with Alida to the catholic Church/School in Santiago where she votes. Very orderly and non-chaotic. Getting in and out of La Sirena is much harder.

She likes Guillermo Moreno, but knows he has no shot.