By Theresa Goodwin
Training begins this evening in the 16 constituencies across the island for residents who have applied to the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission (ABEC) to work on election day — Wednesday, January 18.
According to ABEC’s Public Relations Officer, Elisa Graham, the exercise will be held from 6pm to 8pm for the rest of the week and will be facilitated by the returning officers assigned to each of the 17 constituencies.
Training for Barbuda will take place at the Holy Trinity Primary School when the Returning Officer visits the sister island during the week of January 10.
Graham explained that 1,000 people applied to fill the positions of Polling and Information Clerks as well as Presiding Officers. Each person will be trained in all areas before a selection is made.
“There has been a training manual that has been developed by our Human Resource and Training Officer, Ian Hughes, for election day workers and it was crafted directly from the Representation of the Peoples Amendment Act which governs the general election.
“They will be trained on voting procedures, do’s, and don’ts, what is a spoilt ballot, what is a rejected ballot, and how to deal with a disabled person, among other things,” Graham said.
The full list with the names of the returning officers, the training locations, and the respective constituencies is currently in circulation on all of ABEC’s social media platforms and by media houses.
Fifty-three people have been nominated to contest the upcoming general elections — 17 for the ruling Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party, 16 for the main opposition United Progressive Party, 16 for the Democratic National Alliance, 1 for the Barbuda Peoples Movement, and three Independent candidates.
Meanwhile, Graham also addressed concerns surrounding the disruption of schools for election preparation as most of these facilities will be used as polling stations.
She noted that the only disruption to the schedule will be on election day when all schools will be closed to facilitate the process.
“Prior to the announcement of the general elections, in preparation as we knew that it is constitutionally due, the Supervisor of Election would have written to the Ministry of Education seeking permission to utilise the schools as polling stations, and would have had a meeting with the school leaders to let them know that the school was identified, and they know what it expected so there will be no disruption only on the day of the polls,” Graham said.