reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 407 - Candidacies and Primaries (§§ 4111 — 4137) › § 4131 - Design of primary ballots

The primaries commission of the political party concerned shall provide, through regulations, the contents, patterns, design, and form of the ballots to be used for voting in the primaries. The primaries commission of each political party shall order the preparation of the ballots pertaining to each precinct, after their design and content have been approved, on or before fifty-five (55) days prior to the primaries. The ballot shall be designed in such way that the text contained therein is both in Spanish and English.
The ballots shall be different for each political party, and different colors and/or design patterns shall be used for each elective public office subject to primaries. A blank column or section with a number of spaces equal to the maximum number of votes allowed on such ballot shall be provided for the voter to write in the name of the candidate he/she wishes to nominate for office besides those appearing on the ballot.
The names of the aspirants shall be inserted on the ballot in the order determined by the central governing body of the political party concerned. The ballot shall always include at least one of the given names and one legal surname of each aspirant.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 8.021.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 407 - Candidacies and Primaries (§§ 4111 — 4137) › § 4132 - Prohibitions regarding emblems

No aspirant shall use any emblem on a voting ballot which is expressly prohibited by this subtitle, nor may he/she use the insignia of a political party or any part thereof as his/her emblem.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 8.022.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 407 - Candidacies and Primaries (§§ 4111 — 4137) › § 4133 - Voting in primaries

The voter may vote for a number of aspirants to an elective public office equal to that which the political party has notified to the Commission that it shall nominate for the general election. Political parties may require affiliation in order to vote in their primaries. A voter who wishes to vote in the primaries of a party that has required affiliation and refuses to do so, due to not being a member of said party, may be challenged.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 8.023; Nov. 21, 2011, No. 230, § 21.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 407 - Candidacies and Primaries (§§ 4111 — 4137) › § 4134 - Precinct canvass

The Local Primary Commission shall be responsible for the primary canvass of its precinct, and shall file a tally sheet with the Commission stating the results. Such tally sheet shall be filed within twenty-four (24) hours following the holding of the primary. The Commission shall establish the procedures and forms to be used by the Local Primary Commission through regulations.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 8.024.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 407 - Candidacies and Primaries (§§ 4111 — 4137) › § 4135 - Aspirants elected in primaries

In a political party primary, those aspirants who poll the largest number of votes, according to the number of candidates that may be nominated for a particular elective public office, shall be officially nominated as candidates for such party.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 8.025.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 407 - Candidacies and Primaries (§§ 4111 — 4137) › § 4136 - Tie in primary vote results

After the general canvass has been carried out, if there is a tie in the results of a primary, a second primary shall be called between the tied candidates who polled the largest number of votes. The Primaries Commission of the political party concerned shall determine the date on which the second primary shall be held within thirty (30) days after the recount has concluded.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 8.026.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 407 - Candidacies and Primaries (§§ 4111 — 4137) › § 4137 - General provision on primaries

The primary voting and canvassing processes shall be governed by the provisions of Chapters 408 and 409 of this subtitle in all matters that are not incompatible with the provisions of this title and the following provisions.
The Commission shall oversee the general canvass and recount process as necessary along with representatives of political parties that held primaries, in order to elect their candidates for elective office in accordance with the law and the Regulations approved for such purposes, guaranteeing the secrecy of the vote.
The Chair shall appoint a Canvassing Coordinator and every political party that held primaries shall appoint a Canvassing Director for their corresponding canvassing area. There shall also be a Primaries Sub Commission composed of the Alternate Commissioners of the political parties that held primaries or, in default thereof, by an official of the CEE designated by the Election Commissioner of each of such political parties.
Candidates entitled to recount shall submit to the Primaries Commission a list of observers for the recount process within a term of seventy-two (72) hours from the Commission’s notice. The Commission shall not begin the recount process until the candidate has submitted the list of observers within the aforementioned term.
Decisions to be reached at the canvassing tables shall have the unanimous vote of the Officials representing the candidates at the table. Otherwise, the issue shall be referred to the next level in the chain of command, where it shall be solved unanimously by the representatives of candidates who participated in the primaries. If the issue is not settled at said levels, it shall be referred to the Primaries Commission established in § 4116 of this title.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 8.027; Dec. 22, 2014, No. 239, § 34.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4141 - Date of elections

A general election shall be held every four (4) years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Likewise, all elections which are in order pursuant to this subtitle shall be held on the dates they are called, as provided hereinbelow.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.001.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4142 - General call

The Commission shall announce the date on which an election shall be held not less than sixty (60) days in advance by a proclamation which shall be published in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. In the case of any other election, such election shall be called pursuant to the terms and conditions established in this subtitle, in any other law, or through regulations.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.002.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4143 - Holiday

The day of a general election shall be a legal holiday in Puerto Rico.
No government agency shall authorize the use of parks, coliseums, auditoriums, or public facilities, and shall provide that they remain closed to the public on the day a general election is held, except when such facilities are being used by the Commission. Likewise, there shall be no horse racing on any racetrack in Puerto Rico on the day a general election is held.
In the case of a referendum, plebiscite, consultation, or special election, the aforementioned prohibitions shall take effect within the election-related geographic delimitation where such election shall take place, or as provided by an enabling act.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.003.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4144 - Purpose of a general election

The purpose of a general election is to elect all the officials of the Government of Puerto Rico who, pursuant to the Constitution of Puerto Rico and other special statutes, must hold elective public offices by popular vote.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.004.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4145 - Purpose of special elections

The purpose of a special election is to elect one or more officials within a geographic delimitation to fill a vacancy in an elective public office in the Government of Puerto Rico, pursuant to the Constitution and other special statutes.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.005.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4147 - Persons entitled to vote in a special election

The persons entitled to vote in a special election shall be those who, at the closing of the General Voter Registry for said election, are affiliated to the political party where the vacancy arose and live within the geographic delimitation where said special election is to be held. The geographic delimitation within which the special election is to be held shall be the same for which the predecessor who held the vacant elective public office was elected.
Party affiliation shall be required to vote in case of a special election in which a political party has nominated more than one candidate for an elective public office left vacant by an official elected for such political party.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.007; Nov. 21, 2011, No. 230, § 22.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4148 - Voter distribution

Puerto Rico shall be divided into voter precincts. The Commission shall designate and number voter precincts in Puerto Rico in correlative order, taking as a basis the municipal divisions, as provided by law, and the division of senate and representative districts as periodically determined by the Constitutional Board of Review of the Senate and Representative Districts set forth by the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.008.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4149 - Political party names and insignias on the ballot

The name and insignia used by any political party on the election ballot shall be the same used by said party in the preceding general election. Any change in the name or insignia of the political parties must be notified to the Commission through a certification issued by the political party’s central governing body not later than sixty (60) days before the general election.
Furthermore, before that date, every candidate for Governor, Resident Commissioner, Legislator, Mayor, and Municipal Legislator may file with the Commission any change in the name that will appear on the ballot, which shall always include one given name and one legal surname. Likewise, he/she may submit a simple and distinguishable picture or emblem to be placed beside his/her name on the ballot, except for municipal legislators, who shall only appear on the ballot by name.
The name, picture, or emblem shall not contain identification of or references to titles or offices held, or to campaign slogans.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.009.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4150 - Preparation and distribution of official and sample ballots

The Commission shall direct the preparation of ballots corresponding to each precinct, after having approved their design and content, on or before fifty-five (55) days before a general election.
Sample ballots of those to be used at each polling place on election day shall also be printed, both in Spanish and English. These sample ballots shall be printed on a type of paper different from that of the official ballots and shall be distributed at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of the election. These ballots shall be delivered to the Election Commissioners of the political parties in the amounts approved through regulations. In the case of parties by petition, local parties by petition, and independent candidates, the proportion to be delivered shall be equal to twenty percent (20%) of the petitions lawfully required for registration in the geographic delimitation where they wish to appear on the ballot in a general election.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.010.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4152 - Order in which candidates appear on the ballot

The names of the candidates shall be printed on the ballot from left to right, beginning with the candidates of the political party whose candidate for Governor polled the majority of votes in the preceding general election. It shall continue with the candidates of the political party that came in second; and so on, in the order of votes polled, until the candidates of all political parties that participated in the preceding general election and remained registered are placed.
Then, the candidates of parties by petition and local parties by petition shall appear in the order in which they completed their registration, and afterwards, independent candidates in the order in which they completed the requirements for their certification. On the right side of the ballot, there shall be a blank space for each elective public office where voters may write in the name of a person they wish to elect for a particular office included on said ballot.
The ballot shall also have the insignia of each political party participating in the election, which shall appear in the same order provided herein for the candidates of each political party.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.012.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4153 - Voter lists

The Commission shall deliver to each political party nominating a candidate for governor one (1) copy of the voter list to be used on the General Election day not later than twenty (20) days after voter registration is closed. The Commission may also deliver a copy of the voter list of the corresponding geographic delimitation to local parties, local parties by petition, and independent candidates upon request thereof on or before the General Voter Registry closing.
Voter lists to be used in a referendum or plebiscite shall be delivered by the Commission as prescribed through special legislation. In the absence of such a provision in said special legislation, the delivery shall be made not later than ten (10) days after the close of the voter registry.
For a special election, the request and delivery of voter lists shall be provided through regulations adopted by the Commission or special commission, as the case may be.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.013; Dec. 22, 2014, No. 239, § 37.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4154 - Polling places

The local commission, with the approval of the Commission, shall determine the location of the polling places in polling centers within the electoral unit where its voters reside, not later than seventy-five (75) days before an election. The Commission shall also inform the central governing bodies of all political parties, independent candidates, or organizations entitled to participate in the election about the number of polling places to be used and the maximum number of voters per polling place as determined by the Commission for such election. All the polling places of an Electoral Unit shall be established in the same polling center.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.014; Nov. 21, 2011, No. 230, § 24; July 3, 2012, No. 135, § 36; Dec. 22, 2014, No. 239, § 38.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4155 - Special polling place for provisional voting

In each precinct, polling center, or electoral unit, as established by the Commission, a special polling place shall be set up for voters who do not appear in the voter lists but demand their right to vote. The Commission shall establish, through regulation, the requirements and procedures of this special polling place where voters claim that they do not appear in the voting lists corresponding to their polling center due to administrative errors attributable to the Commission.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.015.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4156 - Easy access to polling place

In each precinct, polling center, or electoral unit, as established by the Commission through regulation, an easily accessible polling place shall be set up to facilitate the voting process for voters with disabilities.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.016.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4157 - Location of polling centers

Polling centers shall preferably be established in such Commonwealth or municipal public buildings that may be available in the corresponding municipality, and which are located at the side of highways, roads, or streets that are easily accessible to automobiles and pedestrians. Officials in charge of Commonwealth government buildings or buildings of any of its agencies or instrumentalities, as well as those of any municipal government, shall make them available for an election without requiring remuneration or surety of any kind for their use.
The Commission may also establish polling centers in private premises and housing facilities, according to regulations adopted by the Commission to such effect. Compensation may be paid by the Commission for the use of private premises where polling centers are set up.
If there are no adequate premises in an electoral unit or, or when force majeure or public safety so require, polling centers may be established in the nearest adjacent electoral unit accessible through state or local roads. Upon reaching this decision, the Commission shall immediately notify the Chair of the local commission, and shall immediately put it into effect. The Commission shall give to such change the broadest publicity possible among the voters who must attend said polling center.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.017.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4158 - Change in polling center

The Commission may transfer any polling center, up to the very day of the election, if the local commission of such precinct so requests, by reason of force majeure or public safety.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.018.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4159 - Oath of the polling place officials

Before entering upon the duties of their offices in the unit or polling place, every polling place inspector, clerk, and observer must swear as follows:
“I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully and honestly discharge, in accordance with the Election Code of Puerto Rico and the laws in effect in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the duties of the office of ____ ____ to which I have been appointed at Polling Place No. ____ ____ of Electoral Unit ____ ____ of Precinct ____ ____; that the incompatibilities prescribed in the Election Code do not exist with regards to my acceptance of this office; that I am not an aspirant or candidate for any elective public office in this election; that I am a registered and qualified voter of the municipality of ____ ____ and holder of Voter Identification Card No. ____ ____; and that I will discharge the duties of this office in accordance with the provisions of the Election Code and the regulations approved by the State Election Commission.
____ ____
Affiant
Sworn and signed before me on this ____ ____ day of ____ ____, 20____ ____, in ____ ____, Puerto Rico.
____ ____
Official administering the oath”
Such oath may be sworn before any official authorized by the Commission or any official entitled by law to administer oaths in Puerto Rico.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.019.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4160 - Substitution of polling place officials

On election day, and at any time before the start of the canvass, any political party, independent candidate, or participating organization may appoint a substitute for any appointed polling place official, as provided herein.
The substitute or polling place official who arrives after the time scheduled for the beginning of the voting shall not exercise his/her right to vote in that polling place unless he/she is a voter therein.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.020.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4161 - Authority of polling place officials

Every regular Polling Place Board inspector shall be entitled to voice and vote in the procedures of the Polling Place Board.
The Commission shall provide, through regulations, the assignment of the duties to be carried out by each of the regular polling place inspectors.
Substitute inspectors and clerks may perform the duties assigned to them by the Polling Place Board and may participate in the works thereof, but substitute inspectors may only vote as members thereof when they are substituting officially appointed inspectors.
The Chair of the Polling Place Board shall be the inspector of the majority major party.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.021; Nov. 21, 2011, No. 230, § 25.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4162 - Minimum equipment required in polling places

Each polling place shall have election material available in quantities to be determined through regulations. Likewise, the Commission shall provide the necessary facilities and equipment through regulations so that persons with disabilities may exercise their right to vote.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.022.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4163 - Election material

In a general election, the Commission shall provide each polling place with enough election material to guarantee the vote of every person registered in the polling place, as well as the access of regular inspectors to voter lists. It shall also provide every Electoral Unit Board with election material to be used in the event it is needed in any polling place, as established through regulations. A written receipt shall be given in both cases for the election material received. The Commission shall adopt, through regulations, the method of delivery and disposition of the equipment and material needed for the election.
The local commissions shall be responsible for the custody and safekeeping of all election material and equipment until they deliver them to the appropriate Electoral Unit Boards, and shall ensure that said material and equipment are returned for delivery to the Commission. An itemized receipt shall be signed upon delivery and receipt of all material and equipment to the Electoral Unit Board.
The Electoral Unit Boards shall deliver election material and obtain a receipt to such effect, and shall ensure that said material is returned for later transfer to the local commission.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.023.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4164 - Indelible mark; selection and procedure

The Commission shall determine the ink to be used to mark the fingers of voters in accordance with the provisions of this subtitle, as well as the method to deliver and dispose of the same.
Such ink must be indelible, hard to imitate, and invisible. The Commission shall select the ink in such a way that its contents cannot be known by the public.
Those voters that for physical, religious, or personal reasons object to the use of said ink at the time of voting shall arrive at the polling place before it closes and shall only cast their vote after it has closed.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.024.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4165 - Delivery of election material

On election day, inspectors shall be at their respective polling places at the time established by the Commission, ready to receive the election material from the local commission’s unit board or its representative.
In an election, each local commission shall deliver to each Electoral Unit Board the election material supplied for use at each polling place in the precinct. The local commission shall require a receipt signed by the members of the unit board who were present at the time of the delivery. The Electoral Unit Board shall be responsible for safekeeping and transferring the election material to the appropriate polling center.
In the event that the Electoral Unit Board is absent, the local commission shall be responsible for delivering the election material to the appropriate polling center, guaranteeing its safety and control at all times.
On election or registration day, the Puerto Rico Police shall provide enough regular personnel to ensure order in every Electoral Unit.
The Municipal Police Corps, in those municipalities that have one, shall collaborate with the Puerto Rico Police in their duty to maintain order and safety in polling centers on Election Day, or in registration centers when there is a partial registration.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.025.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4166 - Inspection of election material

Every Electoral Unit Board shall deliver election materials to the corresponding Polling Place Boards. Said boards shall receive, inspect, and prepare said election material, as provided through regulations.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.026.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4167 - Voting process

Polling places shall open at eight o’clock in the morning (8:00 a.m.) and close at three o’clock in the afternoon (3:00 p.m.).
Members of the Puerto Rico Police and the Municipal Guard who are on duty on Election Day shall vote with priority in their respective polling places.
The voter’s identity shall be verified through an examination of his personal description in the voter lists and on his voter’s identification card. If this verification is sufficient to establish the voter’s identity, he shall sign or make a mark on the line where his name is written on the voter list and ink his finger with indelible ink.
Once the aforementioned process is completed, and only then, shall the voter proceed to vote by means of a system whereby he retains control of the ballot until he interacts with the electronic voting device and the vote is duly recorded. Every voter shall be guaranteed the secrecy of his vote. Immediately after voting, all voters shall leave the polling center.
Polling place inspectors may explain the voting procedure to the voter if the voter so requests. Any other person in a polling place is forbidden to instruct any voter as to the manner of voting.
The Commission shall implement the provisions of this Section through regulations. If an electronic voter list system is implemented, then the Commission shall adopt procedures as are necessary for the use thereof.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.027; Nov. 21, 2011, No. 230, § 26; July 3, 2012, No. 135, § 37; Dec. 22, 2014, No. 239, § 39.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4168 - Manner of voting

The Commission shall provide, through regulations, the manner in which voters shall mark their ballots to consign their vote, as provided in this subtitle. The method of marking the ballots shall be the simplest possible, conforming to the ballots’ design, and shall allow for casting a straight-ticket or a split-ticket vote, as well as a vote for individual candidates.
The Commission shall give extensive publicity to such standards during thirty (30) days prior to an election through any mass medium it deems convenient.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.028.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4169 - Ballots spoiled by voters

If a voter spoils any of the ballots by accident or mistake, he/she shall be entitled to rectification as provided through regulations.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.029.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4170 - Physical inability to mark a ballot

Any voter who is unable to mark the ballots due to disability shall have the right to choose a person who, all the while safeguarding the secrecy of the vote, shall mark the ballots as instructed by the voter. The person chosen by the voter may be an official assigned to the voter’s polling place.
The Commission shall provide other alternatives so that persons with disabilities may exercise their right to vote in an independent and secret manner. However, the voter shall be entitled to use the method of his/her preference.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.030.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4171 - Challenge of a voter

Any voter who has solid grounds to believe that a person who has come to vote is doing so illegally, based on one or more of the grounds set forth in § 4077 of this title, except for subsection (2), may challenge the vote of said person on the grounds that made it illegal, pursuant to the provisions of this subtitle, but such challenge shall not prevent the voter from casting his vote. In the case of a challenge on the grounds of age, it shall be the duty of the challenger to bring and provide to the Polling Place Board with a birth certificate or a negative certificate which indicates that said voter is not of legal voting age. Likewise, in the case of a challenge on the grounds that the challenged individual has died, it shall be necessary for the challenger to furnish a death certificate, or if it is based on the grounds that the individual challenged is registered more than once in the General Voter Registry, the challenger shall furnish a certification from the Commission to such effect.
In the case of a challenge on the grounds of lack of citizenship, it shall be necessary for the challenger to bring and provide the Polling Place Board with a certificate from the competent authority indicating that the individual challenged is not a citizen of the United States of America.
The ballots of all voters whose vote is challenged, together with the documents and information that sustain the challenge, shall be placed in a sealed and labeled envelope issued by the Commission, or in any other means that guarantees the secrecy of the vote, and shall include the name of the challenged voter, his/her voter identification card number, the grounds for such a challenge, the voter identification card number of the challenger, and his/her name in print. If the challenged voter denies the challenge, he/she shall do so by signing under oath through the means provided by the Commission; but if he/she fails to deny it, his/her vote shall not be counted or adjudicated. The voter shall be given notice of the grounds for the challenge and his/her right to contest. Also, he/she shall be notified that if he/she fails to deny the challenge, his/her vote shall be rendered null and void. To that effect, the voter shall be read the following: “You are entitled to contest this challenge. If you fail to make a statement denying such challenge, your vote shall not be counted and rendered null and void”.
Challenged ballots shall not be adjudicated in the polling place, and such ballots, as well as the documents related to such challenge, shall be returned in the medium determined by the Commission, along with the election material being sent to the Commission, in order to determine their adjudication. The ruling of the Commission shall be based solely on evidence.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.031; Nov. 21, 2011, No. 230, § 27; Dec. 22, 2014, No. 239, § 40.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4172 - Arrest of a voter for voting illegally

The day an election is held, any voter or polling place inspector who challenges the vote of any person, and who is certain that such person has voted or intends to vote illegally in that precinct or municipality, may have the person arrested and immediately taken before a judge, or may file a sworn complaint as prescribed by the Commission through regulations.
The Courts of First Instance in every judicial region and designated pursuant to Chapter 403 of this subtitle shall remain open on election day during voting hours to receive and hear all complaints under this Section.
Unit coordinators are hereby empowered to administer the oaths regarding complaints made by any person.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.032.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4173 - Voting of polling place officials

As soon as the voting is concluded in a polling place, and only then, may the polling place officials assigned to such polling place cast their votes, secretly, provided that they are registered voters of the precinct in which they are working as officials, and have their voter identification card and present it to the other members of the Polling Place Board, together with their appointment. If their names do not appear on the voter list of the polling place in which they are working, they will register on said list stating the official position they hold, their voter identification card number, their personal information, and the number of the precinct and electoral unit in which they are registered.
These notes shall be entered on a special page which shall be included at the end of the voter list to such effect.
The polling place official shall have his/her finger inked with an indelible substance as provided by the Commission through regulations.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.033.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4174 - Voting hours and closed line system

Polling places shall open at eight o’clock in the morning (8:00 a.m.) and close at three o’clock in the afternoon (3:00 p.m.). Voting shall continue uninterruptedly until all voters who are inside the polling place at closing time have voted. If it were not possible for all voters to be inside the polling place, voters shall be placed in a closed line and shall be given a number indicating their turn to vote.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.034; Dec. 22, 2014, No. 239, § 41.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4176 - Absentee vote application

A voter may request the absentee vote not less than sixty (60) days prior to the date of an election, as provided by the Commission through regulations, by filling out an application and providing attesting evidence proving that he/she qualifies therefor.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.036.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4177 - Absentee voters

Any voter entitled to vote as an absentee voter in a specific election, as established in § 4176 of this title, shall cast his/her vote in accordance with the procedure provided by the Commission through regulations. Only those absentee ballots sent on or before an election, and received on or before the last day of general canvass for that election, shall be considered validly cast pursuant to this Section. The Commission shall establish through regulations the manner in which the mailing date of absentee ballots shall be validated.
It shall be understood that every applicant for absentee vote whose application is accepted has cast his/her vote, and it shall thus be notified to his/her polling place.
The Commission shall prepare an application for absentee vote, which shall be numbered consecutively at the time it is received at the Commission, and that together with the form provided by federal law, shall be the only ones authorized to be used.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.037.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4178 - Absentee Vote Administrative Board

An Absentee Vote Administrative Board is hereby created permanently with the purpose of managing the application, voting, and adjudication process of absentee votes. This Board shall be composed of a person designated by the Chair and a representative of each Election Commissioner. The Board shall draft regulations for each election in order to comply with the provisions of this subtitle.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.038.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4180 - Advance vote application

Applications for advance voting shall be filed for each election by submitting a form and attesting evidence, as the Commission provides through regulations. The deadline to apply for advance voting shall be the closing date of the General Voter Registry for the Election in question. Notwithstanding the foregoing, those persons who fall into one of the categories set forth in subsections (f), (k), and (l) of § 4179 of this title may apply for advance voting by submitting a form and attesting evidence not later than fifteen (15) days before the election event.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.040; Nov. 21, 2011, No. 230, § 29.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4181 - Advance vote procedure

Voters authorized to vote in advance shall cast their votes in accordance with the procedures established by the Commission through regulations.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.041; Nov. 21, 2011, No. 230, § 30.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4182 - Provisional voting

Those persons who demand their right to vote but do not appear on the voter lists may be provisionally added in accordance with the procedure established by the Commission through regulations.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.042.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4183 - Voters with priority

Members of the Puerto Rico Police and the Municipal Police Corps, as well as employees of the State Election Commission, who are rendering services on the day of an election or on the date that advance voting takes place, shall vote with priority in their respective polling places.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.043.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 408 - Procedures Before an Election; Voting (§§ 4141 — 4184) › § 4184 - Protection of the candidates for Governor and Resident Commissioner

The Puerto Rico Police is hereby directed to provide adequate protection to the candidates for Governor from the time they become official candidates in a general election until the results thereof are certified.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 9.044.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 409 - Canvass (§§ 4191 — 4209) › § 4191 - Canvass

Once the canvass has begun, no member of the Polling Place Board may, under any circumstance, leave the polling place. Election officials shall remain at the polling place until all the canvass is finished and the results of the canvass have been announced by posting a copy thereof on the door of the polling place in question.
The Commission, through regulations to that effect, shall establish the manner in which said canvass shall be made.
The Commission shall also establish, through regulations, the contingency protocol for the electronic voting or canvassing system that shall be implemented in case any problem should arise.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 10.001.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 409 - Canvass (§§ 4191 — 4209) › § 4192 - Unadjudicated ballot

Any decision regarding the adjudication of a ballot shall require the unanimous vote of the Polling Place Board inspectors. In any case in which the inspectors cannot agree on the classification or adjudication of a ballot, they shall mark it on the back with the phrase “unadjudicated”, stating in writing below the phrase, their respective opinions and signing said statements, including the political party or independent candidate they represent.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 10.002.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 409 - Canvass (§§ 4191 — 4209) › § 4193 - Challenged ballot

The Commission shall mix any challenged ballot that may be adjudicated pursuant to the procedure established through regulations with the other ballots, and be adjudicated in favor of the candidates for whom the mark was made, unless, for any reason, such ballot has been protested or unadjudicated.
If it is proven after an election that a challenged ballot was voted on by a person or a voter with no right to vote in that election, the Commission shall refer the issue and the pertinent documentation to the Secretary of Justice, so that he/she may determine whether there has been any violation of law and act accordingly.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 10.003.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 409 - Canvass (§§ 4191 — 4209) › § 4194 - Protest ballot

Votes on protest ballots shall not be counted for candidates. Protest ballots shall be put in an envelope duly identified with the precinct, electoral unit, polling place, and number of ballots by type contained within, and the inspectors shall sign it and enter the number of ballots on the tally sheet. The envelope shall then be sent to the Commission so that it may evaluate and decide on the protest ballots.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 10.004.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 409 - Canvass (§§ 4191 — 4209) › § 4195 - Split-ticket ballot

For a ballot to be considered a split-ticket vote, it shall contain a valid mark under the insignia of a political party and also valid marks outside of said column for one or more candidates for which the voter is entitled to vote, be it from another political party, an independent candidate, or by writing the name or names of others under the write-in column. In the event that a dispute arises regarding the validity of a vote cast under an insignia on a state ballot, the vote shall be adjudicated to the candidates and shall be considered an independent vote.
If there are more candidates marked on a ballot for the same elective public office than the number for which the voter is entitled to vote, the vote for said office shall not be counted, but the vote in favor of the candidates correctly selected for the other offices on the ballot shall be counted.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 10.005; Dec. 22, 2014, No. 239, § 43.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 409 - Canvass (§§ 4191 — 4209) › § 4196 - Tally sheets

Each polling place shall have tally sheets. There shall be as many copies of tally sheets as there are political parties and independent candidates participating in the election. The inspectors and representatives of political parties or independent candidates present at the polling place shall be responsible for completing all parts thereof, and each one of them shall keep a copy thereof after the canvass is over.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 10.006.