Voters in the Dominican Republic cast ballots Sunday in general elections likely to reinforce the government's crackdown on its shared border with Haiti and the hundreds of thousands of people fleeing the violence-stricken nation.
The frontrunner was President Luis Abinader, seeking reelection as one of the most popular leaders in the Americas. He needed to top 50% of the votes to win outright and avoid a runoff election.
Trailing him were former President Leonel Fernandez and Mayor Abel Martinez.
Dominicans also voted in legislative elections. Voting centers closed at 5 p.m., with first results expected a few hours later.
Many of the 8 million eligible voters are still traumatized by an electoral authority decision to suspend the 2020 municipal elections due to a technical glitch. Abelardo Ubri Antomarche, a teacher who lives in capital city of Santo Domingo, was one of the first to vote shortly after 7 a.m.
"We need to vote, no matter how," he said.
While opposition parties reported a number of small irregularities, voting largely ran smoothly.
"Dominican democracy is strong and will come out stronger from this process," Abinader told journalists Sunday.
Abinader's anti-corruption agenda and push to grow the Dominican Republic's economy has resonated with many of the 8 million voters in the Caribbean nation. Much of his popularity, however, has been fueled by the government's harsh crackdown on Haitians and the border the Dominican Republic shares with its crisis-stricken neighbor.
"This migratory problem worries me, because we're seeing a massive migration from our neighbor and it feels like it's out of control," said Perla Concepcion, a 29-year-old secretary, adding that migration was her main concern as she takes to the polls.
The Dominican Republic has long taken a hard-line stance with Haitian migrants, but such policies have ramped up since Haiti entered a free fall following the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise. As gangs have terrorized Haitians, the Dominican government has built a Trump-like border wall along its 400-kilometer border. He has also repeatedly urged the United Nations to send an international force to Haiti, saying such action "cannot wait any longer."
The government has also rejected calls to build refugee camps for those fleeing the violence and carried out mass deportations of 175,000 Haitians last year, according to government figures. While the policy is popular among voters, it has provoked sharp criticisms from human rights organizations who call it racist and a violation of international law.
"These collective expulsions are a clear violation of the Dominican Republic's international obligations and put the lives and rights of these people at risk. Forced returns to Haiti must end," Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International, wrote in an April report.
