JCE begins data collection from its staff for the renewal of the ID card

SANTO DOMINGO.- The Central Electoral Board ( JCE ) formally began yesterday, Thursday, the collection of data from its staff in preparation for the renewal of the identity and electoral card , as established in the previously announced execution schedule

The began with the institution's plenary session, comprised of its president, Román Andrés Jáquez Liranzo, Dolores Altagracia Fernández Sánchez, Samir Rafael Chami Isa, Hirayda Marcelle Fernández Guzmán and Rafael Armando Vallejo Santelises, accompanied by the alternate members.

The president of the JCE, Román Andrés Jáquez Liranzo, recalled that on December 18, the design, technological security characteristics, and execution schedule of the process, which will impact some 9.4 million Dominicans, were presented to the public.

He stated that the implementation of the ID card change, deployed nationally and in 36 countries around the world, is not " all at once ," but rather has involved a process by the agency, with the support of delegates from political parties, groups, and movements accredited to this constitutional body, including a prior phase of preparation, configuration, training, planning, and testing that resulted in the implementation schedule for the renewal.

First stage 

Jáquez Liranzo explained that the execution of the schedule consists of two stages: the first, which begins with the controlled and limited deployment, to be carried out in the first quarter of this year 2026, where it also contemplates four operational milestones, which include:

• -Start of the capture of biometric and personal data (and subsequent delivery) to the public servants of the Central Electoral Board, excluding the members of the Plenary, the alternate members and the general secretary.
• -The first identity and electoral card was delivered to the President of the Republic, Luis Abinader, on January 26, Father of the Nation Day, in the auditorium of this JCE headquarters.
• -In the months of February and March, the process of controlled and limited capture and subsequent delivery of the physical ID card to public and private servants, from entities with or without profit, previously approved by the Plenary of the Central Electoral Board, begins.
• -During February and March, the data collection process and immediate physical delivery to targeted individuals took place. These included, among others: the Senate, members of parliament, judges of the High Courts, political delegates, technical staff and accredited alternates at the Central Electoral Board, academics, artists, athletes, religious leaders, public figures, members and presidents of civil society organizations, businesspeople, and other sectors.

The president of the JCE said that, in addition, these 4 milestones have two concrete actions: first , the capture of biometric and personal data (and subsequent delivery of the ID card) to the people who were captured; and second action, which includes the capture of biometric and personal data, as well as the physical or immediate delivery of the ID card.

“This is important to clarify, because during the months of February and March, the data capture and immediate delivery in a focused manner to previously defined people, as we have indicated, has a determined operational scope of up to 4,000 ID cards as part of a planned expansion strategy that allows consolidating the operation, optimizing the service flows and strengthening the production processes under real service conditions ,” he said.

He noted that those 4,000 people will have to go to the JCE auditorium during the months of February and March to obtain the capture and subsequent immediate delivery in the cubicle enabled where the laser burning machine will be located.

“ This first stage is part of a progressive deployment model, in accordance with international best practices in identity document renewal processes that establish the adoption of orderly and controlled schemes to guarantee operational stability, service quality and the overall reliability of the systems before their general deployment ,” said the president of the JCE.

Jáquez Liranzo stated that deploying a nationwide identification system gradually is the correct way to reduce risks and consolidate the training of the personnel who operate it, and that this will allow for adjusting processing times and identifying improvements. 

Second stage

Jáquez Liranzo explained that the second stage, the full implementation stage, begins in April with the general process of data capture and immediate delivery of the new ID card throughout the national territory, organized by birth month: those born in April in April, and so on until March 2027.

Finally, the president of the JCE pointed out that “ both stages follow an objective, equitable criterion widely used in comparable international experiences. This scheme guarantees orderly, transparent, and efficient access for all citizens, and ensures a solid and, above all, responsible transition from this Plenary of this Central Electoral Board to the new voter ID card .”

The step-by-step process: capture began with the oldest server at the JCE 

The capture of biometric and personal data began with Digna Mercedes Díaz Rodríguez, a server at the Central Electoral Board, who has worked at the institution for 53 years.

During the event, held at the Auditorium of the JCE headquarters, the Director of Cedulation, Américo Rodríguez, carried out the step-by-step demonstration for data capture, an exercise in which the employee with the longest service (more than 52 years of work in the institution), Digna Mercedes Díaz, served as a model for such purposes. 

The process flow described by Rodríguez consists of the following steps: 

1. Take a queue management ticket; 
2. Proceed to the biometric and personal data capture process (photos and fingerprints; 
3. Collect personal data; 
4. User data verification.