The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THREE Grand Bahama based attorneys have expressed concerns about voter disenfranchisement on the island, particularly concerning those displaced residents of East End and West End.

Constance McDonald, K Brian Hanna and Cassietta McIntosh-Pelecanos believe there are many people who may be denied the right to vote in the general election on September 16.

“We have a situation here in Grand Bahama and Abaco where, as a result of Dorian followed by the pandemic and the lockdowns, we have many Bahamian citizens who have been displaced, and who potentially may have their rights to vote in this election denied,” Ms McDonald said on Friday at the PLP’s campaign office in the Regent Centre.

Ms McDonald said many people from east Grand Bahama, and to some extent the western end of the island, who were affected by Hurricane Dorian in September 2019 have yet to rebuild their homes which were demolished.

“The government has stated that you vote in the area where you are registered. These persons are registered in East Grand Bahama. As a result of the snap election, there is a percentage of Bahamian voters who are being discriminated against,” she said.

“The right to vote is a principle of universal and equal suffrage. (The) UN Human Rights Convention has specified that if residency requirements apply to registration, they must be reasonable and should not be imposed in such a way to exclude homeless persons from the right to vote. And residency requirements, even though applicable, it is well established that these cannot exclude the internally displaced being able to exercise their rights political participation.”

Additionally, Ms McDonald also alleged people in East Grand Bahama are being threatened.

“We have a situation in Grand Bahama, I am informed, where persons are being threatened that if they turn out to vote in East Grand Bahama, they will be locked up. This is discriminatory and a violation of the fundamental rights of these persons who are on the register for East Grand Bahama to exercise their rights to participate in the electoral process,” she alleged.

Secondly, she saod residents in Sweeting’s Cay do not have physical access to polling stations on that island.

“My information is that residents of Sweeting’s Cay are being asked to catch the ferry over to Grand Bahama, drive an hour to Freeport to vote, while they are passing through High Rock (in East End) where there is a polling station.

“I am also aware because I have visited Sweeting’s Cay on several occasions as a Rotarian, and I am aware there are facilities on Sweeting’s Cay where these persons can vote. So, I find this very disheartening because again, this is a violation of these persons’ constitutional rights.”

Ms McDonald said a polling station should be set up in Sweeting’s Cay at the Anglican Church to facilitate the residents there.

Another issue she addressed is the lack of provisions to allow persons in quarantine to vote. Although it is a novel situation for this century, the attorney said a mobile voting station can be set up to accommodate such persons.

“In my research, in the Cayman Islands what they did was set up mobile voting stations for those persons so every citizen who wanted to, was able to vote. That is democracy,” Ms McDonald said. “I believe if they follow the practice of having mobile voting polling stations or one polling station where persons wear PPE clothing and gear that should solve the problem.

“And there should be no nonsense about you haven’t lived in this constituency for two years because they can’t live there if their homes are destroyed. But that is the area where they were habitually resident and as a result, they ought to be allowed to vote in East Grand Bahama without fear of intimidation or pressure,” she stressed.

She is encouraging displaced residents to come out and vote where they are registered to vote.

“Do not allow people to intimidate you and put fear in you,” Ms McDonald said. “You ought (not) to be discriminated against because you did not voluntarily move. Hurricane Dorian moved you.”

Ms McDonald said they will be out to assist people who may be disenfranchised on election day.

“If you are at the election and you don’t have your ID papers, we will assist you in doing an affidavit to say it is East Grand Bahama where you were habitually resident, and you are on the register for that constituency.”

Ms McIntosh-Pelecanos said that people who may be challenged on election day are still able to vote.

“If you are challenged, it does not mean that you are not able to vote. It simply means that you go through the process, take the oath and you are still allowed to vote on a white ballot. There is no obligation for you to answer any questions or anything of that nature. What we are saying in this election, we want a fair process. We are not going to allow voter suppression or voter intimidation. We want persons to exercise their democratic right, freely,” she said.

Mr Hanna said there is ample time for the government to put something in writing and make provisions for people who are displaced to have the opportunity to vote.

“There have been emergency powers enacted all through COVID-19 and there is ample time to address this issue and have something confirmed in writing to eliminate any (potential for) chaos at the polls,” he said.

“That would be fair to persons who suffered through Dorian, and that is what we are really asking, for provisions be made immediately for those displaced so that persons working a polling division would have fair knowledge that they are allowed to vote. We don’t need chaos,” he said.