Voter register may reopen

| 10/01/2013

(CNS): Caymanians who are qualified to be voters but who missed the 2 January deadline to register for the May 2013 general election are expected to get another chance if the governor agrees to extend the registration period to the end of this month. In her first motion as the country’s new premier, Juliana O’Connor-Connolly presented the proposal to the Legislative Assembly Thursday and gained the support of the entire House. She told members that after discussions with her Cabinet she had written to the governor asking him to re-open the registration process for a few more weeks and he had said he would consider the request if there was consensus among all of the legislators.

O’Connor-Connolly said that while there had been a last minute rush with almost 1000 people registering on the last day it was understood that there were still at least 3000 potential voters in the community who, for whatever reason, had not made the deadline. She acknowledged that some people may have elected not to register because they do not want to serve as jurors or even for religious purposes, but she said government was of the opinion that this was not the case for all of them.

As the deadline had come very close to the Christmas and New Year holiday she said some had missed it because they were not able to get the necessary documents together in time and give representations made by members of the community to the Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). She said every effort should be made to give everyone a chance to register.

Congratulating the elections office, which she described as one of the best in the world, as well as campaigners who did lots to get several thousand new voters on to a register expected to be well over 18,000 by 1 April, O’Connor-Connolly said an extension could see more people register. The premier said it was a very important part of the progression and development of a democracy that as many people as possible were empowered to fully participate.

She gained the backing of the opposition whose leader, Alden McLaughlin, said his members had received representations about people who missed the deadline and added that, provided that the necessary amendments could be made to the law, the PPM was fully in support.

He said assuming the governor agreed, he urged everyone who is entitled to get on the voters register for what would be an important general election.

Speaking on behalf of the two independent members, Arden McLean offered his support and said he had raised the idea in another recent debate regarding the elections law. He said with improvements in technology it would not be that difficult for the register to be properly updated in time for the May election. He reminded everyone however, that the responsibility lies on citizens of the country to register and there were many provisions to help them. He said serving as a juror should not be a barrier as that should be something Caymanians are proud to do.

On behalf of the UDP the former premier offered his backing as well, noting that it had been extended for the 2009 election as well. McKeeva bush said it would be worth it as it could attract another couple of hundred new voters. He said getting on the register was very important no matter where those who were entitled came from. “We don’t want to disenfranchise anyone so we will support the extension,” he added in his new capacity as leader of another opposition party.

The motion asks the governor to extend the registration period until 31 January, readers should check back to CNS for details of when the register will re-open.

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Constitutional point of order: does everyone realize the elections office will have to re check the travel histories for all 18,000 registered voters they have already approved if the last date for registration gets moved?

  2. Anon says:

    Could not be done to get people registered for the One Man One Voter Referendum though, could it!   In fact the timing was arrange specifically to reduce the possibility of potential electors getting registered.  Now, after a six month campaign to register voters you are claiming there was not enough time???

  3. Anonymous says:

    The only thing I have to thank ju ju for is extending the voters registration as I wanted to have my registration in C brac. Definately this will be a vote for Capt Mose and any other new comer regardless of how little I think of them. Four more years of ju ju oh nosa……

    • Anonymous says:

      You can’t vote in Cayman Brac unless you live in the Brac and we will make sure of that

      • Anonymous says:

        I know that I can and so can some of my friends living there will also get registered and thats quite a few fool fool.

        • Anonymous says:

          No you can’t vote in the Brac if you don’t live in the Brac and and I will make sure of that. Unlike Grand Cayman we know who on our voters registration is living here or not and for those who we are in doubt of we will just have the elections office check travel records and residency days with Immigration records. The time has come to get rid of persons registered to vote who are not eligible to vote in the Brac district. Next on the list is to get rid of the deceased persons from the list and last but not least control the voting of those who are mentally incapable of voting.

  4. Anonymous says:

    While you're at it amending the election law, why not change the law to one man one vote for after this election. No reason to wait.

  5. Michel says:

    I personnaly agree to the extension. Many missed it and now wish to be registered. Now would persons expectIng to run stand up please. We want to start doing our homework. Thanks to those who have stood up already so we can begin to know more about you and if yyou intend to be for the people and Country first without changing you agenda after. Kudos to PPM to be the first to introduce your potential new persons who intend to run. Now were waiting for the rest. God Bless, Michel Lemay

  6. Honestly says:

    Too little too Late UDP5! All of a sudden you know right from wrong? All of a sudden you are working for the people ? yet for 3.5 years you allowed yourselves to be lead around by the nose and bullied. 

    YOU WILL ALL SUFFER THE SAME FATE AS MACKEEVA! IT IS TOO DAMN LATE

    • Anonymous says:

      Agree with 'Honestly'!

      All of a sudden social service workers, Ministers, new Premier are able/willing to make changes, didn they not resign from UDP because they agreed that the former Premier should resign for sake of country? Now they want to make changes, get things done etc as if they were not saying yes to the former Prmeier FOR YEARS???

      No one should vote for any UDP member no matter what they try to do now.

      West Bayers have set CG and Rolston (and all others who got their share) for life and now that they can walk away to start their legal careers, confident of being elected without Mac, they now want to act as if they didn't benefit greatly for being yes men and watching this country head in such a negative direction???

      Wow, unbelievable! and voters in BT, GT better now blame WB alone if the UDP get back in, so they better stop praising CG andRolston or they might help WB voters forget and forgive too soon.

       

       

  7. Anonymous says:

    I need my land filled in the brac while your at it juju lol!

    Braca

  8. Concerncaymanian says:

    Wow…how much more is this going to cost the country???

  9. Anonymous says:

    Can someone tell the Premier that you can be called as a juror if you are a permanent resident and if you have been through General Registry. You do not need to be on the voters roll. This nonsense encourages people to use a poor excuse not to register to vote.

     

    • Anonymous says:

      What's the big deal about being a juror?  They even pay you for your time.

  10. Da bracster says:

    I tell you this, extend it as long as you want that ain't going to unnnnah come May 2013

  11. Bruk. A. Ebanks says:

    This is crap! Will I be compensated for my airline change fee I had to pay in order to make it back in time to register? What about the last night of my hotel booking they refused to take off my bill? I will not sit by idly and let this happen! The Ju Ju Hounds must resign now!

    • Anonymous says:

      Hey Bruk, just wanted to point out that you had quite literally months if not years to register before you went on your vacation. So the last minutosity and extra fees are all on you, ole buddy.

      • Anonymous says:

        @ Anon 15.37.

        Don't worry old buddy. I do believe "Bruk" was speaking parables.

  12. Anonymous says:

    What is the process to have the deceased removed from the list?  There are many dead people currently active on the list of electors that should not be coming out to cast their vote in May.  I know because I attended the funerals.

    • Anonymous says:

      Mortality is a reality even for Caymanians. Has anyone ever been struck from the list?

  13. Anonymous says:

    New Priemer…….so far so good, but I'm still not voting for the UDP.

  14. Anonymous says:

    Kudos JUJU…Now please put a halt to the works being done to close off the West Bay Road until an investigation can be one to see if this entire process has been done legally or not.  Thank you in advance.

    • Anonymous says:

      Ju Ju is surely making sure that everybody is on the list so that her chance can be bigger. God help us if all those that she helped to get Caymanized if they can vote this time. I agree there was alot of deaths that seem to stillbe on the list,AND i HOPE THAT ALL THOSE SHUT INS THAT DONT even know that they are existing wont have postal ballots like the last time. Thank you Mr Kearney, we know you are on the ball.

  15. Anonymous says:

    Wow. I am impressed Ms. Julie. That at least marks a departure from your predecessor who was anxious to curtail democracy not expand it.

  16. YoungLady says:

    Come on CNS, there is only one true opposition party and that is the Official Opposition Party; namely, The Progressives.