By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
PARLIAMENTARY Commissioner Sherlyn Hall has accepted legal advice that will allow Bahamians to use their voter’s cards from a previous election to register to vote for next year’s general election without requiring a passport or a birth certificate unless the commissioner specifically demands that one be produced.
His decision comes amid low voter registration and a concern that the process has been too burdensome for some Bahamians.
Attorney General Allyson Maynard Gibson told The Tribune yesterday: “I understand that the parliamentary commissioner has accepted advice that when a person intends to register for a second or subsequent time, a voter’s card may be presented to enable that person to register to vote.
“If the parliamentary commissioner is of the view that the person attempting to register for a second or subsequent time was improperly on the register he may ask questions and demand such documents to enable him to satisfy himself that the person was properly on the register. To be clear, where the voter was properly on the previous register, the presentation of his/her voter’s card is sufficient to enable him/her to register on the new register.”
Mr Hall previously said the registration process is not too burdensome, and that the requirement to produce a passport or a birth certificate was consistent with practices since 1992.
After meeting with members of the Constituencies Commission, he sought advice from the director of legal affairs in the Office of the Attorney General concerning whether Bahamians could use their voter’s card from the previous election when seeking to register for 2017.
Some who attempted to re-register by producing their voter’s card had been denied the opportunity to do so as they were told to produce a passport to re-register.
This, some argued, disenfranchised some Bahamians including those who can’t afford a passport.
Up to yesterday, about 57,000 Bahamians had registered to vote.
This is a considerably lower tally compared to the previous election cycle, when about 79,000 additional people were registered by this point, according to Mr Hall who mentioned the statistic on a radio show last month.
Mr Hall nonetheless said he expects a massive surge in voter registration going forward.
Last month, he indicated to The Tribune that he did not believe a voter’s card alone suffices during the registration process.
“If they registered in 2012, what politicians want me to do, is accept the 2012 card for 2017,” he said. “My position is, some of those people didn’t get their cards by producing a birth certificate or passport. Suppose some of those voters got their cards by deception?”
Comments
realfreethinker 7 years, 5 months ago
What a train wreck this country is headed for. Is there any part of this government funtional?
sheeprunner12 7 years, 5 months ago
Call in the United Nations election monitoring experts ........ its our time!!!!!
BahamaPundit 7 years, 5 months ago
What will happen is after the election the losing party will challenge this and the election results will be thrown out. Absolute chaos and anarchy could ensue.
Publius 7 years, 5 months ago
Challenge what? You don't know that this is always the procedure?
licks2 7 years, 5 months ago
I don't get their reasoning for real! This was the reason many persons did not get registered so far. . .we were told to bring out passports. . .and they only wanted the e-passport at that. . .the y e-passports were costing $150 a pop. . .making it difficult for much persons to get one. . .they now realized that only the persons with disposable funds were ready to get registered. . .leaving the mostly grass-root persons. . .the base of the PLP. . .who could not readily afford the $150 for the new passports were lagging behind in getting registered! They do have a dada bank with persons who have been registered for decades. . .a simple comparative with presented voters card and data banks will show who are legally registered!
Those who are registering for the first time are the only ones who absolutely need to present a passport for proof of eligibility! Now yinna watch how many persons will bum rush they office. . .grass roots need don't have to pay $150 to register to vote!
thephoenix562 7 years, 5 months ago
I registered 2 months ago using my old voters card and new national insurance card,I had no problem.My passport has been expired for 3 years.
Zakary 7 years, 5 months ago
This seems like a non-story, unless I’m mistaken. Isn’t this kind of how it always worked? I’m already registered.
First time registrants must show a Bahamian passport or birth certificate, nib card, and maybe another identification. Those registered in the last election can show their 2012 voter’s card with NIB identification, and/or passport/birth certificate.
This story doesn't really make sense to me? Can someone explain what's significant here?
Publius 7 years, 5 months ago
I'm so tired of the stupidity in this country. This was always the procedure. It is only a problem if the PC has reason to believe the voters card from the previous election register is not authentic or cannot be otherwise verified according to law. At that point, he demands proof of citizenship. Otherwise you can register with your old voters card and another form of positive ID. Obviously if you are a first-time voter you must provide proof of citizenship as you would not have ever been registered before and hence would not have been on the old register of voters.
Otherwise, when will the delusion ever end in this country? Is the AG really trying to make people think that the voter registration is down some 80,000 voters from the same period last election because people didn't have e-passports along with their 2012 voters card? The Bahamian people are simply not interested in any of the options available to them. All political parties need to stop lying to themselves and to the public about why voter registration is so historically low this time around.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 5 months ago
This is not acceptable because the 2012 voters cards are handwritten with taped on photographs ........... that is akin to using the pre-electronic passports ......... they can be easily forged ............. that can result in voter fraud at the election ......... the FNM should challenge this in the Supreme Court
Publius 7 years, 5 months ago
Are you Bahamian? When did any voters card in any election in the history of this country become automated and electronically generated? Every single voters card is hand written with stuck-on photographs. If you dont know that, you either have never voted or you are not a Bahamian.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 5 months ago
Pubby, I am very much a Bahamian who has voted for 6 election cycles ...... many persons have shown up to vote in the past with voters cards with dead men's names on the register with their photos on it .......... where do you live?????............ it is time for an electronic national ID with a national registry to negate a need to go through voters' registration every 5 years ....... have electronic voting and just go in swipe your card, enter your password and vote for your candidate or referendum issue etc. ........ watsayu
Publius 7 years, 5 months ago
It appears you either do not recall your own words or you have multiple personalities. You said:
What did you vote with in all those 6 election cycles? And since the 2017 voters cards are also hand written, then your argument means that no one should vote at all and/or 100% of the votes cast should be challenged since the 2017 voters cards, like all others, are handwritten.
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