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08/11/2019

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USE OF ELECTORAL INK. WARNING AGAINST VOTING TWICE AND PERSONATION. USE OF ELECTION OBSERVERS. NEED FOR PHOTO IDENTIFICATION

 In his latest press release to Anguillian voters, the Supervisor of Elections, Mr Colville Petty, has advised them that, for the first time in the island’s electoral process, all voters will be required to dip their right index finger in electoral ink prior to putting their ballot paper in the ballot box on Election Day, 15th February. In this regard, he said, the Presiding Officer in each Polling Station will instruct voters accordingly. The use of electoral ink in this election has been welcomed by all of the candidates who see it as a most useful deterrent to persons who may attempt to vote twice. The Supervisor of Elections went on to remind voters who may still attempt to vote twice that they were playing with fire. Voting twice is a most serious offence and persons convicted of doing so may be imprisoned for up to 2 years and will be disqualified from being registered to vote and from voting in any election for 7 years. Mr Petty used the opportunity provided by his latest press release to again issue a warning against personation, that is, where a voter applies for a ballot paper in the name of another person, whether that name be the name of a person living or dead, or of a fictitious person. He stressed that persons convicted of voting in somebody else’s name may be imprisoned for up to 2 years. In addition, he said, any person so convicted will be disqualified during a period of 7 years, from the date of conviction, from being registered as a voter or of voting at any election in Anguilla. The Supervisor of Elections also advised voters that, for the first time in the island’s electoral process, certain aspects of the elections will be monitored by observers. The observers, he said, are being provided by the Anguilla Christian Council and the Anguilla Evangelical Association from among their membership. The observers, Mr Petty noted, would be stationed on the grounds of the polling stations from where they would monitor the conduct of voters in the voting queues and inform the Police on duty of any irregular or unusual behaviour. The observers will also document their observations and prepare a report on their findings.
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