The absentee vote shall be available for every qualified voter as established in the Electoral Law, and for every other qualified voter who is registered in the General Electoral Registry who is unable to be at the polling place on the day of the presidential election because he/she is not in Puerto Rico. For purposes of the presidential election, the petition for absentee vote shall be filed before the Elections Commission not later than thirty (30) days before the date of the election. The procedure for absentee vote shall be as provided in Section 5.037 of the Electoral Law in all that is not contrary to what is expressed herewith.
The Chairperson of the Commonwealth Elections Commission shall be empowered to adopt through regulations the necessary measures to guarantee the federal rights of voters under the laws of the United States of America on presidential voting. In this case, said rights shall be exercised through the mechanism of the absentee vote, which shall be administered by the Absentee Vote Administrative Board created by the Electoral Law.
History —Sept. 10, 2000, No. 403, § 3.3.