NEW YORK.– The proposal by political scientist Rosario Espinal to eliminate the vote for Dominicans abroad, due to what she claims are high levels of abstention, has generated rejection among Dominican residents in New Jersey, who believe that the solution is not to take away their right to participate in elections, but to motivate the diaspora to go to the polls.
The Dominicans consulted maintained that there is a lack of incentive and outreach on the part of political parties, which, in their view, do not make sufficient efforts to mobilize the community abroad during electoral processes.
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The reaction comes after Espinal suggested that, given the high abstention rate recorded among Dominicans living abroad, the investment of public resources allocated to organizing and promoting the vote abroad should be reconsidered.
For those consulted, the low turnout does not mean that the diaspora has lost interest in national affairs, but rather evidences the need for political actors to develop strategies to reach out to a community that represents an important part of the Dominican population outside the national territory.
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The debate brings back to the table the electoral participation of the diaspora and the role that both electoral authorities and political parties must play to encourage Dominicans living abroad to exercise their right to vote.
