Grimes: Voters list for overseas voters, armed forces late
NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Deputy election coordinator for the Progressive Liberal Party Valentine Grimes said yesterday the party will not do anything to delay the upcoming vote on September 16 despite several concerns about the electoral process.
In an interview with Eyewitness News, Grimes pointed to the late release of the listing of armed forces voting in the advanced poll, and overseas voters.
“The law requires us to have known since Thursday the persons voting in the advance poll for police and defense force, that information has not been provided to us.”
Grimes said he met with Acting Parliamentary Commissioner Lavado Duncanson up to yesterday evening but still did not have those names of voters in hand.
“The deadline for overseas voting was the 27th of August, more than a week plus ago, there are less than 500 persons who have applied to vote overseas. We don’t have numbers yet, and it shows how much this government cannot manage even the elections. It makes no sense.”
During a press conference late last month, Duncanson said about 26,000 people are eligible to take part in the advance poll, including people aged 65 and older.
Grimes further stated the PLP will not challenge voters still displaced two years after Hurricane Dorian who intend to vote in their old constituency.
“They should vote where they are registered,” Grimes said.
“The government ought to have made provisions for these persons. The government knew when the election they were going to call, They could have made provisions for those persons, why should the voters in Abaco and Grand Bahama suffer as a result of it. We will not challenge anybody who votes where they are registered.”
He continued: “Our position is to vote where you are registered and nobody has a right to ask you any questions about where you live or how long you’ve been living there, or when you moved. The presiding officer has certain obligations but they should be allowed to vote on a white regular ballot. Our election agents have been prepared to act accordingly and the voter is not to be questioned by any agent of any political party or the presiding officer – the voter has a right to vote.”
As for quarantined voters, Grimes said it did not appear as if there has been proper planning to introduce special provisions.
“They could have done so in a way that protected the general public but regrettably that has not occurred,” Grimes added.
“It appears the government has no interest in ensuring every voter has a right to vote.”
“The matter has to rest at the feet of the government,” Grimes said in response to questions about COVID-19 safety and its impact on the electoral process.
“By having proper planning, by even scheduling the date the house would dissolve, the date of the election, they could have done a better job of scheduling those dates so that the Parliamentary Registration Department would have had adequate time to properly prepare for the circumstances we’re currently in.
Grimes added: “No thinking placed into it, other than trying to secure their places in Parliament. Listen, at the end of the day the people will speak and the government will feel the pain.”
