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NEW YORK, NY May 16, 2008 — There's a presidential election in the Dominican Republic today, and Dominicans are heading to the polls here in the States, as well.

In New York and New Jersey combined, about 77,000 Dominicans are registered to vote in today's election. The two main candidates both opened campaign offices here and showed up in person to woo stateside voters.

Dominican polls show the incumbent, Leonel Fernandez, with just a few percentage points more than the required 51 percent to avoid a run-off, so stateside Dominicans could make the difference.

And, Dominican Times Magazine publisher Juan Guillen says that might spark a debate.

GUILLEN: It'll be huge because it shows that the voting transcends an island. It can continue in another part of the world.

REPORTER: Which some Dominicans would resent, Guillen says. Incumbent Fernandez was himself raised and schooled in the States and Guillen says he's popular among the diaspora.

For WNYC, I'm Marianne McCune.