NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Progressive Liberal Party Chairman Fred Mitchell believes Prime Minister Philip Davis could ring the proverbial bell on April 8, signaling that Bahamians are on the brink of heading to the polls.
“Next week, it is likely that the Prime Minister will announce the date for the general election,” Mitchell said.
His comments came just days after Parliament was prorogued, effectively ending the current legislative session and leaving only the formal dissolution of Parliament before the election could be called.
Mitchell noted that while the House of Assembly was set to resume on April 8, that date carried little real significance at this stage.
“I repeat the obvious, and that is that the House of Assembly has been prorogued… the House is supposed to resume on the 8th of April, which is next Wednesday, but that is only a notional date,” he said.
His claims came following statements from Davis, who indicated he was “very close” to dissolving Parliament and urged Bahamians to ensure they were registered, transferred and verified before Easter.
As anticipation intensified, election activity ramped up across the country, with a surge in voter registration.
“The Parliamentary Commissioner’s office has issued a set of guidelines, and more personnel have been brought in to deal with the rush of people who want to register to vote. There is a lot of anxiety about this registration process, and perhaps some misunderstandings,” Mitchell said.
He moved to calm those concerns, stressing that many voters were already eligible.
“If you have the purple card, that means you voted in the last general election, so you’re good to go, and you need to do nothing more than show up on election day,” he explained.
Mitchell also clarified that the new biometric voter card was not required.
“The biometric card is not required to vote. In fact, the card is not required to vote at all. Once you are on the rolls, you only need a form of government ID, like a passport, to vote,” he said.
However, he warned that voters who had moved needed to act.
“If you have lived in a new or moved into a new area since the last general election, and it’s more than 12 months, please transfer,” he advised.
Mitchell also issued a firm deadline for first-time voters and those needing to update their registration.
“I suggest all of this, however, and particularly those who want to vote for the first time, please do so before April, 8 2026. This is what you call fair warning,” he said.
With Parliament already prorogued and only dissolution remaining, the countdown to an election call appeared to have entered its final days.
