Lawmakers support JCE authority regarding electoral polls outside the deadline
Deputies from various benches have expressed their firm support for the Central Electoral Board (JCE) following the actions taken against polling firms that have disseminated electoral content surveys outside the periods permitted by law. The legislators agree that the electoral body has the responsibility to enforce current regulations to ensure the transparency and order of the democratic system.
The controversy arose after the JCE’s Electoral Administrative Sanctions and Precautionary Measures Unit notified formal charges against the Centro Económico del Cibao and ACD Media. These entities are accused of publishing public opinion studies for electoral purposes, contravening the regulations that govern pre-campaign and campaign periods.
Voices in favor of electoral control
Deputy Pedro Martínez, representative of Alianza País, emphasized the need for the JCE to have the necessary legal mechanisms to exercise its authority. According to Martínez, the lack of timely controls could compromise the legitimacy of the electoral processes in the country.
I am in favor of the electoral body having the legal mechanisms that allow it to have teeth in the electoral process. It is likely that the electoral law needs modifications that grant more strength to impose order.
Pedro Martínez, deputy
For his part, Fuerza del Pueblo deputy José David Báez stressed that the resolutions issued by the Board must be complied with while they remain in force. Báez maintained that, regardless of whether there are legal challenges, the authority of the governing body must be respected until the competent courts issue a final ruling.
Dissenting voices: the debate on freedom of measurement
In a different stance, Senator Moisés Ayala defended the work of polling firms. Ayala argued that, being two years away from the next elections, the right of these institutions to conduct public opinion polls should not be limited.
- Ayala maintains that measuring the positioning of political figures is not an illegal action.
- The senator believes that private institutions have the right to conduct studies on the national reality.
- He argues that administrative provisions must strictly conform to what is dictated by current legislation.
Details of administrative processes
The JCE bases its measures on Article 13 of the electoral regulations, which explicitly prohibits the dissemination of polls for political purposes outside the established deadlines. The most recent case involves a publication made by the Centro Económico del Cibao on August 6. Likewise, the electoral body is investigating two other opinion studies attributed to ACD Media, which were allegedly published on June 1 and July 13, 2026.
