“When you call a snap election, every citizen who is on that register should have the opportunity to exercise their right to vote”
FREEPORT, Grand Bahama — Pointing to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Dorian and the COVID-19 pandemic, three Grand Bahama-based attorneys are calling on the government to better accommodate the needs of displaced voters, particularly from East Grand Bahama, EYEWITNESS NEWS reported in its online publication on Saturday, September 4.
Attorneys K Brian Hanna, Constance McDonald and Cassietta McIntosh-Pelecanos believe that the snap election has created a discriminatory environment for some residents still displaced two years on since the passage of the deadly Category 5 storm.
McDonald said: “There should be no nonsense about ‘oh you haven’t lived in this constituency for two years’, because they can’t live there if their homes are destroyed.
“But that is the area where they were habitually resident and as a result, they ought to be allowed to vote in East Grand Bahama without any fear or intimidation or pressure because then when we can act in that fashion we know that we are truly a democratic nation.”
The group said they have been informed of reports where people were threatened with arrest if they show up to vote in the East Grand Bahama constituency, adding it is discriminatory and a violation of those residents’ fundamental right to vote.
McDonald said: “Even though they (East GB residents) might be rebuilding, so they are visiting the premises and rebuilding but they have not moved physically back to the east as yet, but they have intentions to move. They may not but you can’t presume that because once that was where they were ordinarily resident and habitually resident.
“All you have to [do is] ride up there and see how many houses have still not been replaced as yet to know that there are quite a number of persons who have been disenfranchised if you say that they cannot vote in East GB, and that is not fair.
“At the end of the day, it’s what is fair to everybody, and when you call a snap election, every citizen who is on that register, in my opinion, should have the opportunity to exercise their right to vote — every citizen.”
During a press conference yesterday, McDonald also raised concerns over physical access to the polling stations for Sweeting’s Cay residents.
She said Sweeting’s Cay residents are being asked to catch the ferry to the main island and drive more than an hour to their designated polling station to vote — passing closer polling stations like High Rock.
McDonald underscored that a polling station should be established in the cay for those residents to vote. See article in EYEWITNESS NEWS online publication at https://ewnews.com/believe-in-democracy-three-gb-lawyers-call-on-govt-to-protect-voting-rights-of-displaced-residents?fbclid=IwAR0V6xGPd6lE51NRwKG_1MYAlzHnDqiFi1yjroVp3YZPNt0otnJ_uhy9hRs
