The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

MORE than 10,000 people have applied to the Parliamentary Registration Department so far to participate in the advance poll for the upcoming general election, according to acting Parliamentary Commissioner Lavado Duncanson.

Last month, officials revealed some 30,000 people were eligible to cast an early vote in the advanced poll, which is set for September 9, seven days before the general election.

In an interview with The Tribune yesterday, Mr Duncanson said department officials are doing all they can to make early voting registration available for eligible voters ahead of its September 4 application deadline.

“We have processed approximately over 10,000 persons as of last night, just over 10,000 to date,” he said yesterday. “What we are doing is continuing to make it possible for as many persons who are eligible to apply.”

Eligible voters include disabled people, people aged 65 and older, students studying abroad, embassy workers, staff members of the Ministry of Tourism, Bahamas Maritime Authority, high commission or other foreign mission staff of The Bahamas as well as their spouses among others.

Nine polling sites have been identified in New Providence and four in Grand Bahama to facilitate early voting.

Asked what sort of changes voters can expect this election cycle to ensure their safety, Mr Duncanson said: “Persons can expect the health and safety protocols that are mandated today. The mandatory wearing of the masks, our poll workers will be equipped with masks for safety use. There will be a sanitisation of hand requirement as persons enter the poll.

“There will be sanitisation of the stations that individuals use behind the booth and sanitisation of the pencils that will be used and there will be measures placed on the outside to assist with the social distancing along those lines.”

Mr Duncanson was also asked about health officials’ recommendations regarding the practice of voters dipping their fingers in ink given the current health climate.

However, he said health officials have said the practice can still be done once persons sanitise in advance.

“After consultations with health officials, the feedback we would’ve gotten is there was a concurrence with persons sanitising their hands prior to adhering to that practice,” Mr Duncanson added. “It’s outlined within the Act and one thing the Parliamentary Registration Department will do is require that person to sanitise their hands before participating in the said practice.”

Voting in The Bahamas usually entails people waiting in long lines at polling stations before casting their ballot.

But many have been concerned that the voting process may take longer than usual this year with the implementation of new COVID-19 preventative protocols, resulting in extreme overcrowding at the sites.

This comes at a time when COVID-19 infections and virus-related hospitalisations are surging. Health unions have previously warned about the likelihood of Election Day being a super spreader event.

Addressing those concerns yesterday, Mr Duncanson said his department has put in place certain measures to reduce waiting time and also to allow for a smooth process.

“We’re still making available for persons to take advantage of the advanced poll which will assist with reducing some of the numbers before general election day. On general election day as was posted in The Tribune on last Monday, the nomination information would’ve been the identification of polling stations in the various constituencies,” he said.

“If you take note of the polling stations within the various constituencies, there would be a reference as to how some of the polling stations was split into category A and category B and the purpose of that was to reduce the amount of individuals in each of the polling stations and that is in an effort to assist with facilitating a smoother transition in and out of the polling stations.”

Meanwhile, it is still not clear what will happen to eligible voters in quarantine or those who have tested positive for COVID-19.

National Security Minister Marvin Dames, who has responsibility for elections, suggested on Tuesday that such people may not be allowed to vote. However, he said a decision has not yet been finalised as the government is still being guided by health officials.

At last report, the number of registered voters totalled 194,547. However, Mr Duncanson told reporters last month that the total figure was “subject to change” as clean up exercises of the register are still ongoing.

Asked for an update yesterday, he said: “The certification of the registration is scheduled to take place some 15 days after the issue of the writ and so the early part of next week, we’ll be in the position to give you the exact numbers after everything would’ve been finalised.”