P.R. Laws tit. 16, § 4091
Any political party or citizen group shall be qualified insofar as it meets the following requirements:
(1) Major party.— A party whose candidate for Governor polled a number of votes equal to or greater than twenty-five percent (25%) of the total votes cast for all candidates for Governor in the preceding general election.
(2) Party.— A party whose candidate for Governor polled a number of votes that was not less than three percent (3%) nor greater than twenty-five percent (25%) of the total valid votes for all candidates for Governor.
(3) Majority major party.— A party whose candidate was elected to the office of Governor in the preceding general election.
(4) Party by petition.— A citizen group that obtained its registration as a political party by filing with the Commission sworn registration petitions from voters equal to not less than three percent (3%) of the total valid votes cast for all candidates for the office of Governor in the preceding General Election. The petition shall include the name of the party to be certified and the party insignia. These petitions shall be sworn ad honorem by ad hoc notaries certified by the Commission or officials authorized by law to administer oaths.
The term to file registration petitions shall be from January first (1 st) of the year following a General Election year to December thirtieth (30 th) of the year immediately preceding a General Election year. A citizen group shall be registered as a party by petition once all required petitions are validated and upon the filing of a government plan, the candidates to be nominated, and the name and addresses of the group of voters that constitute its central governing body. The Secretary shall issue a certification of registration once the Commission determines that all the aforementioned requirements have been met. The Commission may adopt regulations as appropriate to establish guidelines to prevent fraud in the registration process.
The party by petition may nominate aspirants or candidates for elective public offices, in accordance with the procedures set forth in this subtitle, as of the time of their certification and through December 30 th of the year preceding a General Election year.
(5) Local party.—
(a) A party that, in the previous general election, polled not less than three percent (3%) of the total straight-ticket votes cast for all political parties in the geographical delimitation for which it was registered. The legislative ballot shall be used for computing such three percent (3%) in the case of a local political party for a senate district or representative district, and the municipal ballot shall be used for computing such three percent (3%) in the case of a local party for a municipality.
(b) A party that polled, in the previous general election, not less than five percent (5%) of the total votes cast for all the candidates for the office that includes the entire geographical delimitation in which it was registered.
(6) Local party by petition.— A citizen group that obtained its registration as a political party in a municipality, senate district, or representative district by filing with the Commission registration petitions that were sworn and signed in the corresponding geographic delimitation by a number of voters that is not less than five percent (5%) of the total valid votes cast in said delimitation for all candidates for the office of Governor in the preceding General Election. The petition shall include the name of the party to be certified and the party insignia.
The term to file registration petitions shall be from January first (1 st) of the year following a General Election year to December thirtieth (30 th) of the year preceding the General Election year. A citizen group shall be registered as a party by petition once all required petitions are validated and upon the filing of a government plan, the candidates to be nominated, and the name and addresses of the group of voters that constitute its local governing body. The Secretary shall issue a certification of registration once all the aforementioned requirements have been met.
A local party by petition may designate the aspirants or candidates for elective public offices in accordance with the procedures set forth in this subtitle as of the time of their certification and through December 30 th of the year immediately preceding a General Election year. Aspirants or candidates shall run for the public elective offices for which the citizens of the geographical delimitation in question may vote. The Commission may adopt regulations as appropriate to establish guidelines to prevent fraud in the registration process.
History —June 1, 2011, No. 78, § 7.001; Nov. 21, 2011, No. 230, § 17; Dec. 22, 2014, No. 239, § 24.