Electoral and Boundaries Commission Defends Public Notification Process

The Electoral and Boundaries Commission (EBC) has rejected claims that the public was not adequately notified or given opportunities to view and make submissions on the voters’ list over the past year.

According to the Chief Electoral Officer, Mrs. Sherland Turton, multiple public notices were issued in 2024 outlining periods during which individuals could review the list and submit claims or queries.

She stated that the first set of notices were published on Sunday, June 22, followed by a second notice on June 29. Members of the public were given until July 16 to submit any claims or corrections related to the voters’ list.

A similar process was conducted in November. The first notice appeared on November 23, with a second published on November 30. The deadline for submissions during that period was December 21.

Additionally, Mrs Turton stated that the Chairman of the Electoral and Boundaries Commission, Ramon Alleyne, addressed the matter during a press conference held on January 10, where he assured the public that further opportunities would be available to view and verify the list.

Mrs Turton noted that it is statutorily obligated to publish a voters’ list by January 31 each year, a requirement that has already been met.

She continued that further opportunities were also provided in late 2024, when 14 centres were opened between October 27 and November 14. During this period, individuals were able to view the list, confirm whether their names were included, verify their assigned constituencies, and submit any necessary claims or corrections.

More recently, 30 revising centres—one in each constituency—were opened from Tuesday, January 20, to Monday, January 26. These centres allowed voters to again review the list and make submissions.

Tuesday and Wednesday, January 27 and 28, 2020, were reserved specifically for individuals wishing to raise objections to the contents of the list.

Mrs Turton emphasized that updates to the Register of Elections are ongoing and will continue until Friday, February 6.

With regard to public participation, the EBC stated that exact figures on the number of persons who utilized the revising centres over the past week are being compiled and will be confirmed by tomorrow.