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observar, preguntar, evaluar y emitir una certificación; sobre todo cuando no tenían el historial previo de estos pacientes y ni les conocían”.[26] Igualmente, mencionó que se estipularon varias solicitudes de Orocovis que contienen defectos de forma. Por tanto, recomendó que se revocara la Resolución Enmendada en cuanto al caso de Orocovis.[27] Con relación a las solicitudes del Precinto 054 de Utuado certificadas por el doctor Rivera González, expresó que: La última certificación, de 21 de septiembre de 2016 disponía que el Dr. Rivera González cumplió con los requisitos de registro de licencia y educación médica continua para el trienio 2016-2019, a tenor con lo dispuesto en la Ley núm. 139-2008 y la Ley núm. 11 de 23 de junio de 1976, según enmendadas. Además, expresamente indicó que dicha certificación era válida hasta el 27 de febrero de 2019. Conforme al término del trienio 2016-2019, dicha certificación comenzaba del 27 de febrero de 2016 y su duración se extendía al 27 de febrero de 2019. No surge de la prueba presentada que al Dr. Rivera González se le haya suspendido o revocado su licencia. Conforme el Art. 7 de la Ley Núm. 139-2008, la Junta de Licenciamiento y Disciplina Médica de Puerto Rico puede tomar las siguientes acciones en torno a las licencias: denegar, suspender, cancelar o revocar cualquier licencia y para emitir una orden fijando a un médico un período de prueba por un tiempo determinado. [28] Sobre este particular la Comisionada Especial determinó que la prueba presentada para establecer que el doctor Rivera González no tenía una licencia vigente para ejercer la medicina no fue clara, por lo que recomendó revocar la determinación de la CEE en cuanto al Precinto 054 de Utuado. En cuanto al Precinto 069 de Aibonito, a pesar de que el Comisionado Electoral del PPD impugnó 49 solicitudes aprobadas en la Resolución Enmendada, sólo presentó prueba de tres casos: Ana Isabel Colón Borelli, Carlos Veguilla Colón y Carmen Ana Borelli Aponte. La Comisionada señaló que, en cuanto a esos tres electores, hubo prueba directa de que no están encamados, por lo que recomienda que se revoque la determinación de la CEE en cuanto a estos tres electores.[29]

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San Antonio Acha v. García Vélez

Judgment

Question Presented: Whether the Puerto Rico State Elections Commission (CEE) violated the due process rights of voters with mobility impairments by denying their early voting applications (voto adelantado) based on alleged deficiencies in their forms — including missing signatures, incomplete information, and suspected fraud (e.g., dozens of applications certified by the same physician on the same date) — while simultaneously failing to provide timely notice of those denials, thereby depriving the voters of any meaningful opportunity to cure the defects before the November 8, 2016 general election.

Alleged Acts: The controversy arose during the evaluation of early voting applications (voto adelantado) for voters with mobility impairments ahead of the November 8, 2016 general elections in Puerto Rico. Under Puerto Rico's electoral law, registered voters who suffer from a condition that impedes their mobility and prevents them from going to their assigned polling places on election day may request early voting — including "at-home" early voting for bedridden voters (encamados). The request requires medical certification of the mobility impairment. The State Elections Commission (Comisión Estatal de Elecciones, or "CEE"), presided over by defendant García Vélez, had initiated a process through which at least 10,000 Puerto Rican citizens were granted access to early voting due to mobility impediments. However, 788 of these applications were challenged before the CEE due to alleged defects.

Procedural history: On October 28, 2016 — just days before the November 8 general election — the Electoral Commissioner of the Partido Nuevo Progresista (PNP) petitioned the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico to review the CEE's denials, asking the Court to authorize the hundreds of denied early voting applications for persons with mobility impairments.

Summary: In the weeks leading up to the November 8, 2016 general elections in Puerto Rico, the State Elections Commission (CEE) processed over 10,000 applications for early voting from voters with mobility impairments who were unable to go to their assigned polling places on election day. The CEE identified 788 applications as potentially defective. However, the CEE sent the denial notices late to the affected voters, giving them no meaningful opportunity to respond to the alleged defects or to cure the deficiencies before the election.

Conclusion: The Court ruled that the CEE's late notification of its denial resolution violated the due process rights of disabled voters, and as a remedy, validated all of the challenged early voting applications, thereby allowing the hundreds of voters with mobility impairments to cast their ballots in the November 8, 2016 general election.

Legal Issue(s)

Accessibility
Voter Registration
Voters' Rights

Applicable Law(s): Puerto Rico Constitution, Article II, § 7, and Puerto Rico Electoral Law

Region: Americas

Country: Puerto Rico

Language of Decision

Spanish

Court: Supreme Court

Election Type: General

Date of decision: Nov 4, 2016

Geolocation

Latitude: 18.4578

Longitude: -66.0863

: Geolocation

Link: https://www.lexjuris.com/LexJuris/tspr2016/lexj2016227a.htm

Primary Documents

San Antonio Acha v. García Vélez.pdf
Spanish
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Election Judgments - IFES

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San Antonio Acha v. García Vélez

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