By Tahna Weston
The Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission (ABEC) is admonishing people who have moved constituencies since the last election to start the transfer process promptly, warning it can take some time.
This appeal is being made ahead of the revalidation exercise set to commence in August to replace expired voter identification cards.
There are certain steps that must be followed by law as it pertains to the transfer process, Supervisor of Elections Ian Hughes said.
This process can be executed only if the constituent makes the application in person, after satisfying the requirement of residing in the constituency for at least six months.
“So ‘Ian Hughes’ must present himself in order to start the application process. This application process goes through the same process as someone who is registering for the first time, where your name is placed on a list – on a list C,” Hughes explained.
“It’s an application, a registration is also an application, and your name is placed on this list C along with the deceased persons and published on our website, published in the constituencies, the political parties get a copy of this list C and they can do their checks and balances, their due diligence.”
Hughes said that once the political parties are in receipt of the C list and they conduct their personal checks to verify it, then any objections and claims may be filed.
He noted that once there are no objections, persons will be asked to visit ABEC’s Queen Elizabeth Highway offices to complete the transfer process.
Elisa Graham, ABEC’s public relations officer, said people should ensure that their voter identification card is expired to eliminate the frustration of showing up to a registration unit to find out that their card is still valid.
Graham said the cards of over 40,000 registered voters in Antigua and Barbuda have expired and that these will have to be part of the August 12 voter card extension exercise.
“You will be required to go to the respective registration units where you are registered, and this is very important to emphasise as well because we do know that there are some individuals who …don’t necessarily live in the constituency that they are registered in,” Graham said.
She noted that following the revalidation exercise it will take around two weeks for persons to receive their updated voter cards.
“It is important to emphasise as well that this will be an ongoing exercise. Yes, we commence on August 12 but, no, you do not have to rush and purchase your ticket for August 12 because you think this is the only opportunity that I have.
“The process will be ongoing just as the registration process is ongoing, so both processes, well, all of our processes, will be working together from August 12 in addition to the replacement of the cards,” Graham said, while speaking to the issue of students and persons living in the diaspora wishing to return home and update their voter cards.
