PAGE 8, Thursday, May 18, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
Elizabeth advance ballots were counted too early By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net
THE suspension of voting in polling divisions of the Elizabeth constituency during the May 10 general election was due to an unspecified and premature decision to count advanced poll ballots for that constituency ahead of the final count, Acting Parliamentary Commissioner Charles Albury said yesterday. Mr Albury also confirmed previous claims that some voters from the Seabreeze constituency mistakenly voted on ballots from the Nassau Village constituency that were sent to the former, blaming the mishap on “packing issues.” However, he insisted that those discrepancies only occurred in two ballot books, and that there is “no other report of a misplaced ballot being elsewhere in that particular constituency”. Despite that, however, Mr Albury said there were no reports of voter irregularities and/or voter fraud in the general election, and that the process was handled “professionally, everything was smooth, and everything was in place”. Concerning the Elizabeth ballots, candidates had previously claimed that 144 unused ballots from the advanced poll were “missing,” resulting in voting in polling division 11 being stopped for more than two hours. There were also allegations that the division’s ballot box had been “unsealed”. Yesterday, Mr Albury explained that despite the law mandating that advanced
ACTING Parliamentary Commissioner Charles Albury, left, alongside Permanent Secretary Harrison Thompson yesterday. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff poll ballots be placed in a uted to the suspension of particular case 256 should une that on the day of the sealed envelope and placed voting for that particular have been written on it,” he election, voting at polling continued. “And once you division number four was in a particular polling sta- poll. “The reason we place determined that the enve- delayed for “about an hour” tion box to be opened and counted at the end of the the advanced poll ballots lope is still sealed, there’s because ballots for Nasday, “for some reason it was in a particular box because no reason to open the bal- sau Village were contained determined necessary to that box would be the sta- lot. That person should in the ballot book for Seacount those ballots before- tion where the person who have just opened the en- breeze. worked on advanced poll velope, and turned those hand”. Mrs Rolle said by the Mr Albury said this led day would be working,” Mr ballots into the box so they time officials discovered to “some confusion” over Albury explained. “On ad- could be recounted with all the issue, 13 persons had althe ballots for that constitu- vanced poll day the ballots the other ballots used dur- ready voted. ency, as he said officials are counted, not in terms ing the course of that par“Apparently it was a initially came up one bal- of who voted for whom, ticular day. packing issue,” Mr Albury “So for some reason it explained yesterday. “The lot short. After counting but just in terms of the tothe 256 advanced poll bal- tal number of ballots cast. was determined necessary ballots are printed and then lots three times, Mr Albury And they’re supposed to be to open that bag and count they’re packed into booksaid officials discovered put in a sealed envelope and those ballots.” lets of 25 ballots and it apRegarding the Seabreeze pears that in two booklets, that “two ballots were stuck that number supposed to be together”, which he said written on the outside of ballots, FNM MP-elect there was a page in there, for the area Lanisha Rolle one page each for the Nasaccounted for the alleged the envelope. “For example, in that previously told The Trib- sau Village constituency. missing ballot and contrib-
In one instance, actually the first ballot book that was used that morning, when they got to page 13, the voter came back and noted that this particular ballot contained the names of candidates for a different constituency. “And later on that day, like about 12.30, in polling station number seven, the same thing occurred. From our indications it appeared that this just happened in those two ballot books. There is no other report of a misplaced ballot being elsewhere in that particular constituency.” Despite the hiccups in those two constituencies, however, Mr Albury praised his department’s handling of the general election process. “The elections were dealt with professionally, everything was smooth, and everything was in place,” he said. “Generally speaking, like I said earlier, from New Providence, at 6am all of the ballots from the New Providence polling stations were on their way to the polling places. So everything was in place for the polls to open at 8am. It’s just that in Elizabeth they had that one issue that resulted in that one particular poll starting late. “And to compensate for that the poll was extended after 6pm to allow for 10hrs consecutive voting as is required by law.” Mr Albury said he is now focusing on preparing for the local government elections, which will be held throughout The Bahamas, except New Providence. A tentative date has been set for June 21, he said.
ADVANCED POLL INVESTIGATION REPORT SENT TO PRIME MINISTER from page one
Yesterday, Mr Albury confirmed the completion of the investigation, but declined to comment further on the matter when prodded by reporters, only stating: “I believe that has been forwarded to the Office of the Prime Minister.” Nonetheless, Mr Albury said the PRD ought to look into securing and utilising modern equipment to assist department officials in performing their duties, and that the government should look into revising and possibly reducing the list of persons currently on the advanced poll register. “I think the introduction
of modern technology in our process is critical, and I also think we have to look again at the advanced poll, because the advanced poll register has increased exponentially,” he said. “And so we have to determine whether that listing of persons who are eligible to vote in the advanced poll needs to be revised or reviewed and reduced, and if it is to remain as it is then we have to compensate for that by having more polling stations on advanced poll day, particularly here on New Providence. “And that was the major contributing factor to the concern on advanced poll day, that one location for about 6,000 plus voters.”
Last week, election observers deployed by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organization of American States (OAS) urged officials to act on repeated recommendations to modernise the process, impose campaign finance regulations, and bolster the independence of the Constituencies Commission. Both missions zeroed in on the electoral organisation for the advanced poll, and the last minute replacement of the parliamentary commissioner, which was said to have created unease leading up to the May 10 poll, but ultimately did not impact the quality of the election.