people. The winner of the election is the candidate with at least 50.1 percent of valid votes. Due to province population difference, it is possible for a candidate to win the most provinces' votes, and lose the nationwide popular vote (receiving fewer votes nationwide than the election winner who, almost always, wins in most popular provinces). Congressional elections Elections to Congress take place every four years. Congress has two chambers. Special elections can occur between if a member dies or resigns during a term, for this case, an internal election is held at the correspondent chamber from a terna presented by the Executive Committee of the winning party. Congressional elections occur every four years, correlated with presidential elections. Senate elections The Senate has 32 members, elected for a four-year term in single-seat constituencies (1 from each province and the Distrito Nacional). Chamber of Deputies elections The Chamber of Deputies has 195 members, elected for a four-year term in single-seat constituencies. Chamber of Deputies elections are held every four years on the third Sunday of May in leap years. Chamber elections are D'Hondt method elections that elect, as minimum, two Deputies from each of 31 provinces and the National District in concordance with the circumscriptions as is divided the Dominican Republic. Local elections At the local level, cities government positions elections are held in a nationwide modality every four years on the third Sunday of February in leap year, coinciding in a single Election Year with the presidential and congressional elections. Schedule Election This table does not include special elections, which may be held to fill political offices that have become vacant between the regularly scheduled elections. The Congressional and Municipal Elections scheduled to be held on May 16, 2014 were merged with the Presidential Elections and rescheduled to be held in a single General election on the third Sunday of May (May 15, 2016) following Constitution modification in 2010. The 2020 Municipal Elections will be separated again and be held on the third Sunday of February while Presidential and Congressional Elections will continue to be held on the third Sunday of May, all for a four-year term. So, by exception the Senators and Deputies elected on May 16, 2010 will be serving for a longer term of six years, until 2016. Inauguration See also Electoral calendar Electoral system References External links Adam Carr's Election Archive