The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Parliamentary Registration Department has officially begun rolling out biometric voter cards, beginning with Golden Isles, St James and Carmichael, and expects to distribute about 2,500 ID cards this week.

Parliamentary Commissioner Harrison Thompson said the cards are being issued in phases, focusing first on constituencies with the largest numbers of registrants.

On Saturday, the department distributed cards to verified voters in Golden Isles, St James and Carmichael, with the Grand Bahama rollout expected to begin this week.

He said constituencies with smaller voter populations will be targeted next, but declined to say which ones.

Saturday’s exercise comes as the department ramps up preparations for the upcoming election.

Mr Thompson said staff have been working feverishly, some for as long as 20 hours a day.

“You come here late hours of the night and you'll see on vehicles in the parking lot, because we are serious about being ready for elections and having a fair and efficient election in this country,” he added.

According to officials, more than 20,000 Bahamians have requested getting biometric cards, with officials expecting this number to rise in the coming days.

The cards are optional and use biometric data — specifically facial images and fingerprints — already provided to the Parliamentary Registration Department.

Project manager Lucretia Dean-Rolle said this information comes from the passport office while background information on where you live etc comes its existing legacy system.

“We are not migrating data from the passport office. Rather, we are migrating the facial image fingerprint, because these are the unique identifiers of each of you,” she said during a press conference on Friday.

Mr Thompson, meanwhile, defenced the process as transparent, noting that his office had met with both three parties about the.

Both the Free National Movement Party and Coalition of Independents have raised concerns about the process.

“Things might not go the way you want it to go, and sometimes you can complain about that, but that's fine. Don't talk about transparency, because everything we do is about board,” Mr Thompson added.

Voters wishing to collect their cards must bring valid government-issued photo identification and must collect the card in person.

No third party will be allowed to collect a card on behalf of another voter unless there is written authorisation from the cardholder.

Applicants should also be prepared to confirm certain details with staff to verify their identity before the card is issued.

Starting today, voters  can also collect their cards at the Kendall Isaacs gym from 9am to 6pm.

“I encourage all eligible Bohemians who have completed the biometric process in St James, Golden Isles, Killarney and West Grand Bahama to collect their cards as soon as possible as they are able to your participation helps to complete this reform and strengthens our system for everyone,” he added.

Government officials have long argued that the laminated voter cards now in use are outdated and easily forged, citing international observers who have repeatedly flagged weaknesses in registration and identity checks.

They maintain that recent reforms will modernise registration while leaving voting and counting entirely manual.