Esta ley enmienda la Ley Electoral de Puerto Rico para extender el plazo para que el Presidente de la Comisión Estatal de Elecciones designe al Auditor Electoral. La enmienda aumenta el plazo inicial de cuarenta y cinco (45) días a ciento cincuenta y cinco (155) días a partir de la fecha de aprobación de la Ley Núm. 115 de 25 de abril de 2003.
(Approved September 27, 2003)
To amend subsection 1 of Section 21 of Act No. 115 of April 25, 2003, to extend the term for the President of the Commonwealth Elections Commission to designate the Electoral Auditor.
Act No. 115 of April 25, 2003 amended Act No. 4 of December 20, 1977, as amended, known as the "Electoral Act of Puerto Rico," to create the Office of the Electoral Auditor, adjoined to the Commonwealth Elections Commission, with the main purpose of supervising the operations of the campaigns of the political parties and candidates, among other purposes. The statute sets forth that the Office shall be directed by an Electoral Auditor who shall be designated by the President of the Commission with the unanimous consent of the Electoral Commissioners and that the President shall make the initial designation for the office of Electoral Auditor within a term of forty-five days from the date of approval of the Act.
The President of the Commission notified to the Legislature that once Act No. 115 was approved, steps were taken to interview and select the Electoral Auditor from among several candidates willing to accept this responsibility. More time than the term granted by Act No. 115, which ended on Monday, August 9, 2003, is needed to accomplish this designation.
Considering all of the above, as well as the importance of this designation for the electoral legal system of Puerto Rico, the President of the
Commission has stated that his intent was not to breach the Law, and that he is motivated only by the desire to be able to hire a person that meets the expectations of the office, which he hopes to carry out soon. The Legislature deems the statement of the President as valid and warranted, and for this reason it adopts this Act to extend the term for the designation of the Electoral Auditor.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF PUERTO RICO: Section 1.- Subsection 1 of Section 21 of Act No. 115 of April 25, 2003, is hereby amended to read as follows: "Section 21.- Provisional Dispositions Pertaining to the Organization of the Office of the Electoral Auditor.
Section 2.- This Act shall take effect immediately after its approval, but its effects shall be retroactive to April 25, 2003.
I hereby certify to the Secretary of State that the following Act No. 285 (S.B. 2327) of the $6^{ ext {th }}$ Session of the $14^{ ext {th }}$ Legislature of Puerto Rico:
AN ACT to amend subsection 1 of Section 21 of Act No. 115 of April 25, 2003, to extend the term for the President of the Commonwealth Elections Commission to designate the Electoral Auditor, has been translated from Spanish to English and that the English version is correct.
In San Juan, Puerto Rico, today $6^{ ext {th }}$ of August of 2004.
Elba Rosa Rodríguez-Fuentes Director