reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 409 - Canvass (§§ 4191 — 4209) › § 4197 - Return of election material

When the canvass has been completed, the Polling Place Board shall return all election material of such polling place to the Electoral Unit Board, as provided by the Commission through regulations. The Electoral Unit Board shall process the voting results of all the polling places in the electoral unit and return all election material corresponding to its polling places to the local commission of its precinct, as provided by the Commission through regulations. The original and the copies of the voter lists of the polling place, as well as the originals of all tally sheets and logs, shall be returned to the local commission inside the election material bags.
As soon as the local commission receives the election material from all the polling places in each of the electoral units in the precinct, it shall certify the summary of the voting of said precinct. Once it concludes the summary, the local commission shall immediately send all the election materials of the polling places in the precinct to the Commission, as provided by the Commission through regulations. It shall be the responsibility of the local commission to make the pertinent arrangements with the Puerto Rico Police in order to provide the necessary security and protection to these materials from the time they leave the local commission until they are delivered to the Commission. The local commission shall be responsible for the custody of such materials until they are delivered to the Commission.
It shall be an election-related offense, as classified in § 4234 of this title, for the members of the Polling Place Board, Electoral Unit Board, or local commission to abandon their work without having concluded, uninterruptedly, all canvassing works and procedures established in this subtitle.’
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 10.007; Nov. 21, 2011, No. 230, § 31.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 409 - Canvass (§§ 4191 — 4209) › § 4198 - Partial and preliminary results

(a) Partial. — The Commission shall combine the results of the polling places of each electoral unit in each precinct, as they are received, so as to issue partial election results not later than at noon of the day following the election. Such partial results shall be based on the combination of the results of the polling places received at the time such results are issued.
(b) Preliminary. — The Commission shall announce the preliminary results not later than seventy-two (72) hours following an election. The results shall be based on the combination of the results of all the polling places of each electoral unit. This shall not constitute the certification of any candidate, aspirant, proposal, or issue. The Commission shall not be able to certify any candidate, aspirant, proposal, or issue until the general canvass is carried out pursuant to § 4199 of this title.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 10.008; Nov. 21, 2011, No. 230, § 32.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 409 - Canvass (§§ 4191 — 4209) › § 4199 - General canvass

After the Commission has received the election material bags, it shall proceed to carry out a general canvass. The person who shall be in charge of the general canvass shall be selected by the Chair, but shall require the unanimous ratification of the Election Commissioners.
During the general canvass, only the protested, challenged, unadjudicated, provisional, and absentee ballots received during the general election shall be handled. These ballots shall be evaluated by the Commission in order to be either adjudicated or voided. Once the general canvass begins, it shall continue until it is completed.
The general canvass of the election shall be conducted by using the tally sheet and every other document used in the course of the election. The Commission shall correct all arithmetical errors there may be on the tally sheets, and shall count such tally sheets as they have been corrected.
If the Commission fails to correct an error found on a tally sheet, or if there were any discrepancies regarding the number of voters and the number of ballots canvassed at the polling place, a recount of all the ballots of such polling place shall be conducted pursuant to § 4200 of this title.
The results of the general canvass of an election, as declared by the Commission and published by the Chair, shall be final, unless contested within the terms provided by this subtitle.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 10.009; Nov. 21, 2011, No. 230, § 33.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 409 - Canvass (§§ 4191 — 4209) › § 4200 - Recount

When the preliminary or general result of an election shows a difference between two candidates for the same elective public office of one hundred (100) votes or less, or zero point five percent (0.5%) or less of the total votes cast for such office, the Commission, at the request of any of the candidates in the dispute, shall conduct a manual recount of the votes cast in the polling places involved. In the case of senators and representatives-at-large, a manual recount of the polling places involved may be requested if the difference between the eleventh (11th) and twelfth (12th) candidate is one hundred (100) votes or less, or zero point five percent (0.5%) or less of the total votes adjudicated for the office in question. In the case of municipal legislators, a manual recount of the polling places involved may be requested if the difference between the last candidate and the one that follows is five (5) votes or less. The request for recount authorized herein shall have the effect of a contested action, and there shall be no certification of the winner until the manual recount of said polling places is made, as requested; thus confirming the voter’s intent and guaranteeing procedural integrity by counting every vote in the form and manner in which it was cast. The Commission shall perform the manual recount using the tally sheets and the ballots of the polling place as described below.
The Commission shall revise the tally sheets against the manual recount and adopt the former, duly revised, as the official tally sheet of the polling place in question. The Commission shall endorse said tally sheets with a statement signed by all the polling place officials working at the tables, attesting to the changes made and the reasons why they were made.
The Commission shall retain the contents of all election material bags opened by the officials working at the tables and they shall sign a written statement attesting to the return of all contents of the election material bags to the Commission.
Candidates entitled to a recount shall submit to the Commission a list of observers for said process within seventy-two (72) hours after the Commission’s notice. The Commission may not begin the recount process until the candidate has submitted the list of observers within the term set forth in this subtitle.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 10.010; July 22, 2016, No. 81, § 13.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 409 - Canvass (§§ 4191 — 4209) › § 4201 - Tie in the results of an election

In case of a tie for an elective public office between two or more candidates, the Commission shall hold a new election between the tied candidates. Said election shall be held not later than thirty (30) days after the general canvass of the election concerned is concluded. The Governor and the Legislative Assembly shall appropriate any additional funds necessary to defray the costs of such election; thus, fund advances, incurring debt, or applying for an emergency credit line is hereby authorized in order to carry out the election within the term fixed while the aforementioned appropriation is processed.
In the event of a tie for the office of municipal legislator between two or more candidates, a new election shall not be held, but the candidate to be certified as elected shall be the one who appeared first according to the order in which they were placed on the ballot. If the tie were between candidates of different political parties, the candidate to be certified as elected shall be that of the political party that polled the greatest number of votes under their insignia on the municipal ballot.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 10.011.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 409 - Canvass (§§ 4191 — 4209) › § 4202 - Results of the election

The Commission shall declare elected for each office such candidate who polls the highest number of votes. For the record, it shall issue an Election Certificate to be furnished to the candidate elect once it is credited that he/she has completed the public funds and property management course and submitted his/her audited balance sheet. Municipal legislators are exempted from this last requirement.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 10.012; Nov. 21, 2011, No. 230, § 34.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 409 - Canvass (§§ 4191 — 4209) › § 4203 - Public funds and property management course

Every candidate elected in a general election, special election, or alternate selection method shall take a course regarding the management of public funds and property offered by the Office of the Comptroller.
(1) The course shall have the duration of six (6) hours up to a maximum of twelve (12) hours.
(2) The Office of the Comptroller of Puerto Rico shall be the entity responsible for designing and offering the course established in subsection (1), and shall develop it in coordination with the Commission and other agencies related to the fiscal management of public funds and property.
(3) The different agencies comprising the three branches of government shall provide help and technical assistance to the Office of the Comptroller in the design and offering of such course when so requested.
(4) The course shall include the accounting principles used in government, state, and municipal auditing systems and procedures, federal funds, and any other subjects the Office of the Comptroller deems to be essential and pertinent information for candidates elect to know with regards to government management.
(5) The Governor elect and the Resident Commissioner elect shall be the only candidates who may opt out of taking the course.
(6) The Commission is hereby empowered to approve the regulations necessary to enforce the provisions of this subtitle, in coordination with the Office of the Comptroller of Puerto Rico.
This course shall be taken once every four years by the elected candidate subject to this provision.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 10.013; Dec. 22, 2014, No. 239, § 44.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 409 - Canvass (§§ 4191 — 4209) › § 4204 - Resident Commissioner Elect

The Commission shall issue a certification to the Governor stating the name of the person who polled the highest number of votes for the office of Resident Commissioner in the United States. Such certification shall be issued after the general canvass has been completed. The Governor shall immediately issue a certificate of election to such person, as required by the laws of the United States of America.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 10.014.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 409 - Canvass (§§ 4191 — 4209) › § 4206 - Contesting the election

Any candidate who contests the election of another candidate shall, within ten (10) days following the date in which the certificate of election for each elective public office in the general canvass was served, file with a Judge of the Court of the Judicial Region of San Juan, as designated under Chapter 403 of this subtitle, a brief explaining, under oath, grounds for said contest, which must be of such nature that, if proved, would suffice to change the results of the election.
A true and exact copy of the brief shall be delivered in person, in the manner provided hereinafter, within five (5) days following its filing.
The person whose election is contested shall have ten (10) days, following the date of receipt of the notice of the brief, to file an answer with the court, under oath, to the contester’s brief, and shall certify the delivery of a copy thereof to the contester or his/her legal counsel. If the person, however, fails to answer within the term stated above, it shall be construed that he/she accepts the contest as true.
The notice, brief, and answer prescribed in this subtitle shall be served by any person competent to testify, and shall be served, in person, to the parties concerned, their representatives in election-related issues as per the Rules of Civil Procedure, or at the residence or office of the person to whom they are addressed. For the purposes of this section, a political party candidate’s representative in election-related issues shall be the local commission member who represents his/her political party in the precinct where the candidate resides.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 10.016.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 409 - Canvass (§§ 4191 — 4209) › § 4207 - Effect of contesting the election

The filing of an action with the Court of First Instance contesting the results of an election shall not prevent the person from being certified as elected, taking office, and performing the duties thereof. In the case of senators and representatives, the contested candidate shall not be certified until the court resolves said contest, which shall be done not later than the first day of January following a general election, or sixty (60) days following a special election.
In case of the election of candidates for offices other than senator or representative, if a partial or total contest of the election arises between two (2) or more candidates for an office or offices, and the court is unable to decide which of them was elected, the court shall direct that a new election be held in the precinct or precincts affected, to be carried out under the regulations prescribed to such effect.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 10.017.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 409 - Canvass (§§ 4191 — 4209) › § 4208 - The Senate and the House of Representatives as sole judges of the election of their members

As per the Constitution of Puerto Rico, the Senate of Puerto Rico and the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico shall be the sole judges of the legal qualifications of their respective members, the validity of the tally sheets, and the canvass of the election of their members. In the event of a contest over the election of a member of the Senate or the House of Representatives, the Commission shall place all documents and papers related to the election of the official in dispute at the disposal of the legislative house concerned.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 10.018.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 409 - Canvass (§§ 4191 — 4209) › § 4209 - Preservation and destruction of ballots and tally sheets

The Commission shall preserve all voted ballots and tally sheets pertaining to a primary, general or special election for a period of thirty (30) days from the date of the certification of the election. Those ballots and tally sheets from an election where an aspirant or candidate for Resident Commissioner was elected shall be preserved for the term provided by the corresponding federal law. Once the aforementioned term has expired, as the case may be, the Commission shall destroy the ballots and tally sheets unless there is a contested election pending in court, in which case these shall be preserved until a final and binding decision is rendered.
The thirty (30)-day preservation term shall also apply for referendums and plebiscites, except as otherwise provided in the special legislation for said referendum or plebiscite.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 10.019.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 410 - Referendum—Cconsultation—Plebiscite (§§ 4211 — 4220) › § 4211 - Applicability of this subtitle

Every referendum, consultation, or plebiscite held in Puerto Rico shall be governed by the special law approved to such purposes and by the provisions of this subtitle in all that is necessary or pertinent, and for which said special law does not provide.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 11.001.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 410 - Referendum—Cconsultation—Plebiscite (§§ 4211 — 4220) › § 4212 - Duties of election-related bodies

The Commission shall have the responsibility of directing, implementing, and supervising any referendum, consultation, or plebiscite, in addition to any other function conferred thereto by virtue of special law. Unless otherwise provided by virtue of a special law, the established local election-related bodies shall perform the functions pertinent to their charge, according to the special nature of the referendum, consultation, or plebiscite in question.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 11.002.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 410 - Referendum—Cconsultation—Plebiscite (§§ 4211 — 4220) › § 4213 - Legal holiday

The day on which a referendum, consultation, or plebiscite is to be held shall be a legal holiday throughout Puerto Rico. However, the day a referendum or plebiscite is held within a particular geographic delimitation shall only be a legal holiday within said geographic delimitation. No government agency shall authorize the use of parks, coliseums, auditoriums, or public facilities within said geographic delimitation in which a referendum or plebiscite is held, and shall provide that they remain closed to the public.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 11.003.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 410 - Referendum—Cconsultation—Plebiscite (§§ 4211 — 4220) › § 4214 - Persons entitled to vote

Every duly qualified voter may vote in any referendum, consultation, or plebiscite. The Commission shall include in the voter lists for the referendum, consultation, or plebiscite all those voters that appear in the General Voter Registry and who are eighteen (18) years of age or older on the date of the referendum, consultation, or plebiscite.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 11.004.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 410 - Referendum—Cconsultation—Plebiscite (§§ 4211 — 4220) › § 4215 - Emblems

The emblems printed on the ballot in a referendum, consultation, or plebiscite may not be used by any candidate or political party until after four (4) years have elapsed from the date on which such referendum, consultation, or plebiscite is held.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 11.005.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 410 - Referendum—Cconsultation—Plebiscite (§§ 4211 — 4220) › § 4216 - Participation of political parties and political action committees

In every referendum, consultation, or plebiscite, any political party, or citizen group duly certified by the Commission may advocate for or against any of the options to be voted on in the same and, in the course thereof, may perform any lawful political activity subject to the limitations provided in this subtitle and in the “Puerto Rico Political Campaign Financing Oversight Act”.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 11.006.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 410 - Referendum—Cconsultation—Plebiscite (§§ 4211 — 4220) › § 4217 - Notice of participation

Political parties may participate in referendums, consultations, or plebiscites provided that their central governing bodies notify the Commission of their intention within thirty (30) days following the effective date of the special law authorizing the plebiscite, consultation, or referendum in question.
Likewise, any citizen group duly certified by the Commission that opts to participate in a referendum, consultation, or plebiscite shall notify such intention within thirty (30) days following the effective date of the special law.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 11.007.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 410 - Referendum—Cconsultation—Plebiscite (§§ 4211 — 4220) › § 4218 - Financing

Any special law providing for the holding of a referendum, consultation, or plebiscite shall provide for the necessary funds for the holding thereof, as well as the amount of money, if any, that shall be authorized and granted to the political parties and citizen groups for their campaigns. The Election Comptroller shall have the power to oversee the income and expenditures of said political parties and citizen groups.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 11.008.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 410 - Referendum—Cconsultation—Plebiscite (§§ 4211 — 4220) › § 4219 - Ballot

The Commission shall design and print the ballot to be used in every referendum or plebiscite, as provided in the special law that provides therefor. Such ballot shall contain the text of the proposal, both in Spanish and English, to be submitted for the citizens” vote, just as it appears in said law. If the ballot design is not provided by the aforementioned special law, it shall be established by the Commission through regulations.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, an additional column shall be added to every referendum or plebiscite ballot in order to allow for voters to express their will and opposition to the options available thereon. In this case, blank ballots shall be counted.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 11.009; Dec. 22, 2014, No. 239, § 45.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 410 - Referendum—Cconsultation—Plebiscite (§§ 4211 — 4220) › § 4220 - Notice of the results and prevailing proposal

The Commission shall certify to the Governor the results of the referendum, consultation, or plebiscite, as well as the proposal which, according to the terms of the special law, has prevailed after the proper canvass of the votes. In every case in which the result of a referendum, consultation, or plebiscite shall have the mandatory effect of law, an express provision shall exist regarding the terms, conditions, and procedural mechanisms for its implementation.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 11.010.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 411 - Prohibitions and Election-Related Crimes (§§ 4231 — 4255) › § 4231 - Media expenses of the Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

During a general election year and until the day after it is held, the agencies of the Government, the Legislative Assembly, and the Judicial Branch of Puerto Rico are hereby forbidden to incur expenses in the purchase of time and space in media outlets, as well as the purchase and distribution of propaganda or promotional materials, to expound their government plans, projects, achievements, accomplishments, projections, or plans. Any press notices and announcements expressly required by law are excluded from this provision. Campaigns launched by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company to promote internal tourism; promotional campaigns abroad by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company or the Puerto Rico Convention Center District Authority to promote the Island of Puerto Rico as a tourist destination; or by the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company to attract foreign investors to Puerto Rico are hereby excluded, insofar as they do not include the achievements of the Administration or corporation, or highlight the performance of any officer thereof. Moreover, notices or calls to legislative or administrative public hearings, published and circulated without the use of paid mass media outlets, are also excluded.
Also excluded from the above provision are those notices that are used to disseminate public service, urgent or emergency information, which shall only be allowed upon authorization by the Commission.
In the case of announcements or notices required by law to Government agencies, the Legislative Assembly, and the Judicial Branch of Puerto Rico, as well as the municipalities, the Commission shall have a term of two (2) business days to state in writing its approval of or objection to the notice or announcement for which authorization was requested. The aforementioned term shall be counted from the time the request for authorization is made to the Commission, and in the event such term elapses without the Commission having stated its approval or objection, the message, notice, or announcement in question shall be deemed to be approved. The issuance of approval documents by the Board shall not be necessary.
The provisions of this section shall not apply to the Office of the Resident Commissioner, which shall be governed by the statutes of the Federal Election Law, 2 U.S.C. §441(a)(1)(A) et seq.
Violations of this section shall entail an administrative fine to the government agency or instrumentality of up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for the first violation, and up to twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) for subsequent violations. Funds thus obtained shall be covered into the Special Fund to finance voting automation expenditures, as provided in § 4011 of this title.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 12.001; Nov. 21, 2011, No. 230, § 35; Dec. 22, 2014, No. 239, § 46.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 411 - Prohibitions and Election-Related Crimes (§§ 4231 — 4255) › § 4232 - Distance between propaganda facilities

No facility for the distribution of propaganda of any political party, aspirant, candidate, independent candidate, citizen group, or political action committee may be established at a walking distance of less than fifty (50) meters, measured along the public access thoroughfares between the two closest points between the perimeters of the facilities. The local commission may close any propaganda distribution facility established at a walking distance of fifty (50) meters from another previously established facility, measured along the public access thoroughfares between the two closest points between the perimeters of the facilities, after determining the dates on which the places were established, in each case. It may also close the operations of any propaganda distribution facility established at a walking distance of one hundred (100) meters of a private or public school, an office of the Permanent Registration Board, or a polling center, measured along the public access thoroughfares between the two closest points between the perimeters of the facilities. The Chair of the local commission shall notify such decision to the local Commander of the Puerto Rico Police for immediate action.
The Commission shall prescribe, through regulations, the standards needed for the operation of propaganda distribution facilities within the established limits. The implementation of this section shall be the exclusive responsibility of the local commission.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 12.002; July 3, 2012, No. 135, § 39.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 411 - Prohibitions and Election-Related Crimes (§§ 4231 — 4255) › § 4233 - Use of communications material and equipment

The use or display of material for propaganda in polling centers or polling places is hereby prohibited.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 12.003.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 411 - Prohibitions and Election-Related Crimes (§§ 4231 — 4255) › § 4234 - Opening propaganda distribution facilities

Any person who is in charge of a propaganda distribution facility located within a one hundred (100) meter-radius, as measured along public thoroughfares, between the two closest points from the perimeter of the property where the propaganda distribution facility is set up and the property where a polling place or Permanent Registration Board is located, and who keeps such facility open to the public on the day of an election shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and be punished by imprisonment for a term not to exceed six (6) months or a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500), or both, at the discretion of the court.
Under special circumstances and with the previous authorization of the Local Commission, only with the unanimous approval of the Commissioners may propaganda distribution facilities be established at less than one hundred (100) linear meters, as measured along public thoroughfares, from a school or Permanent Registration Board. Should there be no unanimity, the Chair of the Local Commission shall resolve the issue. Such determination may be appealed before the State Election Commission within a term established through regulations approved by the State Election Commission. The political party, candidate, or political action committee in question shall file a duly sworn application to locate the propaganda distribution facility within the banned limits. The application shall include the following information:
(1) Name of the political party, candidate, or political action committee.
(2) Address of the proposed facility.
(3) Distance in meters between said facility and the school or Permanent Registration Board.
(4) A detailed description and evidence of the unsuccessful actions taken to acquire a facility that complies with the established limits.
Once the application is received, the Local Commission shall consider the same not later than the next meeting after said application was filed.
The Local Commission shall consider, among other factors, the size of the town or city and the availability of other facilities when reviewing the application to set up a propaganda distribution facility within the established limits.
The Local Commission shall issue its decision either authorizing or rejecting the application not later than seventy-two (72) hours from considering the matter, after the meeting. The party affected by the decision of the Local Commission shall have seventy-two (72) hours to request review before the Commission.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 12.004; Nov. 21, 2011, No. 230, § 36.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 411 - Prohibitions and Election-Related Crimes (§§ 4231 — 4255) › § 4235 - Violations of election-related laws

Any person who knowingly and fraudulently violates any of the provisions of this subtitle or who, having an obligation imposed thereby, willfully fails or refuses to comply with it, shall be guilty of an election-related crime. If no specific penalty is set forth in this subtitle for such violation, said person shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, be punished by imprisonment for a term not to exceed six (6) months, or a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500), or both penalties, at the discretion of the court.
This provision shall not apply to matters and controversies under the jurisdiction of the Chair, which entail the imposition of administrative fines pursuant to the provisions of § 4019(o) of this title.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 12.005.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 411 - Prohibitions and Election-Related Crimes (§§ 4231 — 4255) › § 4236 - Improper use of the voter identification card

Any person who falsely makes, alters, forges, imitates, transfers, or obtains a voter identification card based on false facts or knowing that he/she is not entitled to it, or any person who circulates, publishes, passes, or tries to pass said card for genuine and true knowing that it is false, altered, forged, imitated, or that it contains false information, shall be guilty of a fourth-degree felony and, upon conviction, be punished by imprisonment as provided by §§ 4644 and 4694 of Title 33.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 12.006.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 411 - Prohibitions and Election-Related Crimes (§§ 4231 — 4255) › § 4237 - Violation of rules and regulations

Any person who willfully violates any rule or regulation of the Commission, adopted and promulgated as authorized in this subtitle, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, be punished by imprisonment for a term not to exceed six (6) months or a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500), or both penalties, at the discretion of the court.
This sanction shall not apply to matters and controversies under the jurisdiction of the Chair, which entail the imposition of administrative fines pursuant to the provisions of § 4019(o) of this title.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 12.007.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 411 - Prohibitions and Election-Related Crimes (§§ 4231 — 4255) › § 4238 - Dismissal or suspension from employment for serving as a member of a Local Commission

It shall be illegal for an employer to authorize or consent or dismiss an employee or official, or for a person to threaten to dismiss or dismiss, suspend, dock the pay, demote, or impose or try to impose onerous working conditions on an employee or official because said employee or official has been summoned to attend and attends, as a regular local or alternate commissioner, a meeting duly called by the local commission if the affected local commissioner has sent a copy of the summons to his/her employer or supervisor before the meeting is held.
Any person who violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, be sanctioned by imprisonment for a term not to exceed six (6) months or a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500), or both penalties, at the discretion of the court.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 12.008.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 411 - Prohibitions and Election-Related Crimes (§§ 4231 — 4255) › § 4239 - Alteration of election-related documents

Every person who, without being duly authorized by law, or who, having such authorization to intervene with election material, violates the forms and ballots used or to be used in an election for the purpose of extracting, altering, substituting, defacing, destroying, or mislaying such documents to prevent them from being counted during canvass, or who fraudulently makes any erasure or alteration on any ballot, voter identification card, endorsement petition for primary, political party registration application, tally sheets, incident log, voter list, or voter registry shall be guilty of a third-degree felony and, upon conviction, be sanctioned by imprisonment pursuant to the provisions of §§ 4644 and 4694 of Title 33.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 12.009.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 411 - Prohibitions and Election-Related Crimes (§§ 4231 — 4255) › § 4240 - Forged signatures or unauthorized information in endorsement petitions for primaries

Any person who forges a signature in an endorsement petition for primary or for registration of a political party, or includes a voter’s information without his authorization in said petition or in a related report shall be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not less than one (1) year or more than three (3) years, or by a fine not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000), or both penalties, at the discretion of the court.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 12.010; Dec. 22, 2014, No. 239, § 47.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 411 - Prohibitions and Election-Related Crimes (§§ 4231 — 4255) › § 4241 - Installation of mechanical devices

Any person who installs, connects, or uses, or causes anyone to install, connect, or use any mechanical, electronic, or any other type of device for the purpose of obtaining information or allowing any other person to obtain information about any aspirant, candidate, independent candidate, political party, political action committee, campaign committee, or citizen group without the prior consent of said aspirant, candidate, independent candidate, political party, political action committee, campaign committee, or citizen group, or the legal representative thereof, or to disclose the manner in which the aforementioned voted, shall be guilty of a third-degree felony and, upon conviction, be punished by imprisonment pursuant to the provisions of §§ 4644 and 4694 of Title 33, or a fine of not less than two thousand dollars ($2,000) nor more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), or both penalties, at the discretion of the court.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 12.011.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 411 - Prohibitions and Election-Related Crimes (§§ 4231 — 4255) › § 4242 - Penalty for obstruction

Any person who willfully and knowingly obstructs, intimidates, interrupts, or illegally interferes with the election-related activities of a political party or political action committee, campaign committee or citizen group, aspirant, candidate, independent candidate, or voter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, be punished by imprisonment for a term not to exceed six (6) months, or a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500), or both penalties, at the discretion of the court.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 12.012.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 411 - Prohibitions and Election-Related Crimes (§§ 4231 — 4255) › § 4243 - Breaking into facilities

Any person who illegally breaks into a facility, building, or structure in which material belonging to political parties, aspirants, candidates, independent candidates, campaign committees, or political action committees is kept, with the intention to find out about the contents of said material or information, shall be guilty of a fourth-degree felony and, upon conviction, be punished by imprisonment pursuant to the provisions of §§ 4644 and 4694 of Title 33, or be imposed a fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) nor more than three thousand dollars ($3,000), or both penalties, at the discretion of the court.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 12.013.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 411 - Prohibitions and Election-Related Crimes (§§ 4231 — 4255) › § 4244 - Improper use of General Voter Registry information

Any Commission or political party employee or official, aspirant, candidate, citizen group representative in the process of registering a political party, any representative thereof, or any natural or juridical person who, in the discharge of his/her duties or by accident, gains access to the information contained in the General Voter Registry and uses said information for purposes other than those provided in this subtitle shall be guilty of a fourth-degree felony and, upon conviction, be punished by imprisonment, pursuant to the provisions of §§ 4644 and 4694 of Title 33, or be imposed a fine of not less than two thousand dollars ($2,000) nor more than three thousand dollars ($3,000), or both penalties, at the discretion of the court.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 12.014.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 411 - Prohibitions and Election-Related Crimes (§§ 4231 — 4255) › § 4245 - Improper use of public funds

Any public employee or official who unlawfully uses public funds or property for use by a political party, aspirant, person considering aspiration, candidate, independent candidate, campaign committee, or political action committee shall be guilty of a fourth-degree felony and, upon conviction, be punished by imprisonment for a minimum term of one (1) year and a maximum term of three (3) years, or a fine which shall not be less than five thousand dollars ($5,000) nor more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or both penalties, at the discretion of the court.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 12.015.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 411 - Prohibitions and Election-Related Crimes (§§ 4231 — 4255) › § 4246 - Job offers

Any aspirant, candidate, independent candidate, lobbyist, elected official, or person who, on behalf thereof, offers or agrees to appoint, or to obtain the appointment of a specific person for any public office as an incentive or reward for voting in favor of said aspirant, candidate, or independent candidate, or for contributing to his/her campaign, or for obtaining help or assisting in his/her election, and any person accepting or seeking such an offer, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, be punished by imprisonment for a term not to exceed six (6) months, or a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500), or both penalties, at the discretion of the court.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 12.016.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 411 - Prohibitions and Election-Related Crimes (§§ 4231 — 4255) › § 4247 - Conviction of an aspirant or candidate

Any aspirant, candidate, or independent candidate convicted of any election-related crime shall, in addition to the penalties provided in this subtitle, be subject to disqualification as an aspirant, candidate, or independent candidate by the Court of First Instance, as provided by this subtitle.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 12.017.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 411 - Prohibitions and Election-Related Crimes (§§ 4231 — 4255) › § 4248 - Registration or transfer offenses

Any person who:
(a) Willfully registers or transfers or allows himself to be registered or transferred in the General Voter Registry knowing that he is not entitled to such registration or transfer for being based on false facts; or
(b) aids, abets, or advises another person to carry out said fraudulent registration or transfer; or
(c) illegally attempts to prevent a duly qualified person from registering in the General Voter Registry; or
(d) knowingly alters the data furnished by an applicant for the purpose of delaying the registration or jeopardizing the applicant’s right to vote; or
(e) obstructs or hinders the officials of the Commission in the fulfillment of their duties, or
(f) obtains more than one (1) voter identification card fraudulently.
Shall be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not less than one (1) year nor more than three (3) years, or by a fine not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000), or both penalties, at the discretion of the court.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 12.018; Dec. 22, 2014, No. 239, § 48.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 411 - Prohibitions and Election-Related Crimes (§§ 4231 — 4255) › § 4249 - Jeopardizing the right to register and vote

Any employer or representative thereof who refuses to allow a worker or employee to register or vote when the latter is qualified shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, be punished by imprisonment for a term not to exceed six (6) months or a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500), or both penalties, at the discretion of the court.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 12.019.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 411 - Prohibitions and Election-Related Crimes (§§ 4231 — 4255) › § 4250 - Tearing off or defacing documents or propaganda of candidates or political parties

Any person who willfully and knowingly tears off or defaces any election-related document or propaganda of candidates or political parties displayed in public places shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, be punished by imprisonment for a term not to exceed six (6) months or by a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500), or both penalties, at the discretion of the court.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 12.020; Dec. 22, 2014, No. 239, § 49.
2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE SIXTEEN - Election and Registration (§§ 1 — 4255) › Subtitle 6 - Election Code (2011) › Chapter 411 - Prohibitions and Election-Related Crimes (§§ 4231 — 4255) › § 4251 - Operation of establishments dispensing alcoholic beverages

Any person who opens or operates a commercial establishment, bar, shop, club, house, apartment, depot, barracks, or pavilion for the dispensing, sale, traffic, or free consumption of spirits, distillates, wines, ferments, or alcoholic beverages, from midnight of the day preceding an election until nine o’clock in the evening on the day it is held, shall incur a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, be punished by imprisonment for a term not to exceed ninety (90) days or a fine of five thousand dollars ($5,000), or both penalties, at the discretion of the court.
Restaurants and bars in cruise ships and commercial establishments in hotels, inns, and condo-hotels certified by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, are hereby exempted from the aforementioned provision when such establishments are part of the services or amenities they offer their guests or visitors and participants of conventions, and when the sale, dispensing, or distribution of alcoholic beverages is conducted for consumption within the confines of the hotel, inn, condo-hotel or cruise ship. Commercial establishments that operate within the duty-free zones of ports and airports of the Puerto Rico Ports Authority are also exempted, provided that the sale of alcoholic beverages is for delivery to the buyer after he/she has boarded the airplane or ship.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 12.021.