(CNS): The deadline for candidates to withdraw from the General Elections, which will take place on Wednesday, 20 May and for candidates to nominate their agents, who will be permitted to attend the polling stations and counting of the ballots, is this Saturday 9 May, Supervisor of Elections Kearney Gomez said today. He reminded all candidates of a provision in the Elections Law which states that a candidate may withdraw his candidature if he gives the notice in writing to the district Returning Officer. “This notice must be given at least 10 clear days before Election Day,” Gomez said.
The Supervisor explained that in order to get back the $1,000 deposited on Nomination Day, candidates must produce their receipts and said that all of this information is repeated in the Candidates, Agents and Observers Handbook, which was given to all candidates when they were nominated on 25 March. Both the Election Law and the Handbook also detail the conditions for appointment of agents. A candidate may nominate two polling agents to attend at polling stations and two counting agents to attend the counting of the votes at each counting station.
The agent must be a person who is entitled to vote in the district in which the candidate has been nominated and the agent may be appointed on behalf of more than one candidate and may be both a polling agent and a counting agent. The Elections Law requires that each appointment be in writing, including the agent’s name and address, and be signed by the candidate.
Agents will be seated in the election polling stations so they can see and keep a record of each person who comes to vote. They cannot see how the person votes. They cannot interfere with proceedings, except to object if they believe a voter is misidentifying himself or has already voted. The Presiding Officer will question the voter accordingly. Candidates and their agents will not be permitted in the polling stations where voters cast ballots for the Referendum.
The Elections Office, located on the second floor of the Smith Road Professional Centre, will be open until 5pm on Saturday.
Stop splitting votes and wasting your time and money and obey the law
WB Ms Ebanks withdraw sure you have good intentions but study the topics more perhaps go to law school,
BT Mr Vincent need to work on your ideas need a little more than Caymanians first for you campaign message
BT John John & Mark obey the law drop out.
NS Mr Ossie great ideas but no support no need to split votes Idp will win.
CB/LC Lindon stop splitting votes and wasting your money .
So disappointing that Mark and Dwayne chose not to do the honourable thing. Shame. Shame.
It must be very hard to run for office. You literally have to walk through hot Coles to make it, therefore if you are a strong tenacious and determined person, and really want to make a difference in the lives of the people and the country you will stick to it and see it through till the end.
"I know it is draining and tiring and the constant criticizing does not help. But the journey is what defines a man anI know it is draining d not the destination".
If only they would remember this when criticising the Govt., especially about the govt. spending which they have both benefitted from.
We are behind you Mark and Dwayne. Keep your heads held high and be strong. May God Bless and keep you.
Mark and Dwayne are in it to win it. Stay the course!
Nice sound, but would the "Kenny Rogers" wanna be please stick to something that pays. His political advice isn’t going to cut it.
Ellio is a winner.
Big shout out to Mark and Dwayne, Ellio and Sandra you too, this one is for you;
"He said, son, I’ve made a life out of readin peoples faces,
And knowin what their cards were by the way they held their eyes.
So if you dont mind my sayin, I can see you’re out of aces.
For a taste of your whiskey Ill give you some advice.
So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow.
Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light.
And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression.
Said, if youre gonna play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play it right.
You got to know when to hold em, know when to fold em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.
You never count your money when youre sittin at the table.
There’ll be time enough for countin when the dealins done."
Kenny Rogers
Suggestion: The BT candidates need to please withdraw from the race.
Mark and John John if you are not going to have respect for the people of this country, then please show some for the the law of the land.
If you cannot show us that you have the respect now how are we to trust you to have it if you were elected.
DONT DO IT.
You never fail until you stop trying.
They have already failed. They failed to comply with the requirements of our constitution.
I agree that they should withdraw. It is the honourable thing to do. They are both nice guys in their own right though perhaps a little short in the judgment department and certainly having no eye for detail.
I do feel sorry for them though that the UDP political machine and its leader has also clearly failed them and their Bodden Town supporters. This is highly indicative of the lack of any real credibility of the UDP. If fundamentally important details such as this are overlooked by the UDP, how on earth do they feel they are qualified to run the country? In fact I have been puzzled as to what they plan to do to improve things that they claim are wrong. They have provided absolutely no clear details other than wooly statements! Where is their manifesto? Clearly there are a number of other areas of detail they have been overlooking as well. I suppose it shouldnt be a surprise given that it is consistent with the typical approachof McKeeva who for example never lets the facts get in the way of an argument.
I am also puzzled and dissapointed by the Governor and in particular the Attorney General. It seems to me that if Mark and Dwayne remain on the ballot there will be a clear breach of the constitutional requirements. Unless there is an explanation pointing to some degree of doubt, which there seems to be no room for, why wouldnt the AG rule that they are not qualified to remain on the ballot? I would imagine he is duty bound to prevent such a breach of the highest law in the land.
Mark and Joke Joke……3 days to go guys……do the honourable thing and withdraw now guys…..that way people will respect you for saving the country money and turmoil and maybe, just maybe, you’ll make it next time !!!
Mark and John John! should withdraw…. Why would they tackle this election after not disclosing there business interest with Government!! Its there in the Constitution! Will we have a Mark and John John Tribunal if elected…. Will this cost the Government 2mil?
Mark and John John – are you ready to do the right thing as yet?
Not just Mark and Dwayne need to bow out now i could name a few West Bay 4 D, O, C, P,George Town 7 F,B,B,E P E,J Bodden Town 5 M,D,G,S,V,North Side 1 O,East End 1 J Cayman Brac 3 J,L M
Mark and Dwayne, let’s see if you can get this deadline right. Time to withdraw, fellas!