By Robert Andre Emmanuel
The Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission (ABEC) is urging citizens to replace their expired voter ID cards, with approximately 2,300 people in the St Peter constituency still needing to update their identification before potential upcoming by-elections.
According to ABEC Supervisor of Elections Ian Hughes who spoke yesterday on Observer media’s Big Issues, only about 25 percent of those with expired cards have so far completed the renewal process, falling short of the commission’s initial expectation of 40 percent participation.
Hughes said that the registration process is straightforward. “The process takes less than 10 minutes. We have staff ready to assist you.”
A by-election in St Peter was triggered following the death of its former MP Asot Michael, whose alleged assailant is currently facing criminal proceedings.
The country’s Prime Minister, Gaston Browne, has yet to announce a date for the by-election, with the expectation being that the decision will be made after the funeral service for MP Michael.
The Constitution mandates that a by-election must be held within 120 days, with preliminary calculations suggesting it should occur in March 2025.
The governing political party has already confirmed that its candidate for the seat will be Senator Rawdon Turner, who was recently appointed vice president of the Senate.
Hughes emphasised the importance of not waiting until the last minute, particularly with a potential by-election in the constituency looming.
“We do not want to create unnecessary pressure,” Hughes explained, “If people wait until Election Day, it becomes a gruesome process of queuing up all day just to get a special ID.”
While the typical card replacement takes two to three weeks, Hughes acknowledged that individual circumstances might extend this timeline due to technological challenges and verification processes.
While the immediate focus was on the inevitable poll, Hughes also spoke about the potential for a surprise general election.
The total registered voter count for the whole country stands at 61,811, with the commission continuously updating the register.
“The Prime Minister can say ‘bingo’ and suddenly we’re all scrambling,” he warned.
Hughes also spoke of how the technological infrastructure poses additional challenges to the registration process, and noted the commission’s reliance on INET as its primary Internet provider where potential Internet lags or slowdowns can significantly impact the card replacement process.
“Technology is great when it works, and challenging when it doesn’t,” he remarked.
