| Country: | Dominican Republic |
| Type: | presidential |
| Previous Election: | 1994 Dominican Republic general election |
| Previous Year: | 1994 |
| Election Date: | 16 May 1996 (first round) 30 June 1996 (second round) |
| Next Election: | 2000 Dominican Republic presidential election |
| Next Year: | 2000 |
| Turnout: | 78.63% (first round) 9.28pp 76.80% (second round) |
| Image1: | Leonel Fernández en 1996.jpg |
| Nominee1: | Leonel Fernández |
| Party1: | Dominican Liberation Party |
| Popular Vote1: | 1,466,382 |
| Percentage1: | 51.25% |
| Nominee2: | José Francisco Peña Gómez |
| Party2: | Dominican Revolutionary Party |
| Popular Vote2: | 1,394,641 |
| Percentage2: | 48.75% |
| President | |
| Before Election: | Joaquín Balaguer |
| Before Party: | Social Christian Reformist Party |
| After Election: | Leonel Fernández |
| After Party: | Dominican Liberation Party |
Presidential elections were held in the Dominican Republic on 16 May 1996, with a second round on 30 June.[1] Whilst José Francisco Peña Gómez won the most votes in the first round, he was defeated by Leonel Fernández in the second round, after the Social Christian Reformist Party, whose candidate had lost in the first round, declared their support for Fernández.[2] Voter turnout was 78.63% in the first round and 76.80% in the second.[3]