MICHAEL HOLMES, WORLD NEWS: Voters in the Dominican Republic have gone to the polls to choose a successor to President Leonel Fernandez. Three candidates are vying for the position with the leftist Hipolito Mejia leading in the pre-election polls. Preliminary results give Mejia just under 50 percent of the vote, but he needs an outright majority to avoid a run-off. CNN's Harris Whitbeck filed this report from Santo Domingo.</s>HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Women were the first to go to the polls in Tuesday's general elections and the first to experience the chaos and confusion at the voting centers. "This has been a joke," said this woman. "This is the last time I'm voting." At some schools in Santo Domingo, people were not able to cast their votes because the registration process was too long. According to Dominican electoral law, women start registering at 6:00 in the morning. They have two hours. At that time, voter lists are closed, and the ballot boxes are brought out. "We've been here under the hot sun all morning, and there are too many people," said this woman. Men go through the same in the afternoon. "I don't see any fraudulent intent in the way things have been managed," he said. "The process is simply too slow." The chaos will not likely affect the final outcome of this election, which international observers expect to be smooth. (on camera): This election is important for the Dominican Republic that has seen its economy grow dramatically in the last few years. Analysts say a smooth transition will ensure a stable climate for future growth. Harris Whitbeck, CNN, Santo Domingo.
Women Voters First To The Polls In Dominican Republic 