On the eve of the general election, the Electoral and Boundaries Commission (EBC) repositioned voting booths and banned all smart devices in a move it said is designed to reinforce the secrecy of the ballot and safeguard the integrity of thel election.
For the first time, presiding officers will have a limited view of voters while ballots are being cast at polling stations in an election that also features international monitoring for the first time in post-independence election history.
The change followed a decision by the Electoral and Boundaries Commission (EBC) to reposition voting booths so that voters will have their backs to presiding officers while voting, in order to strengthen ballot secrecy.
In a notice issued by Supervisor of Elections Sherland Turton titled “Prohibited Devices”, the EBC stated that while “voters are assured that there will be privacy”, polling booths “will be positioned so each voter will enter the booth with his or her back to the Presiding Officer”.
The EBC also reminded voters that all communication devices will be prohibited inside polling stations on election day. Items banned include smartwatches, smartphones, and smart pens.
Despite the new booth orientation, the chief elections officer repeated assurances that “there will be privacy, so that the secrecy of the vote will be maintained”.
Concerns about voter secrecy are not new. During the February 21 2013 general election, a voter was arrested after allegedly taking a photograph of his marked ballot on his smartphone. The incident followed allegations that some individuals were paying people for proof of how they voted.
At the time, the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported that the arrest occurred just after midday and that the individual was likely to be charged with breaching the requirement of secrecy in an election.
Wednesday’s snap general election, called more than a year before it was constitutionally due, has already generated controversy, particularly surrounding the accuracy and completeness of the voters’ list.
Democratic Labour party (DLP) leader Ralph Thorne has repeatedly raised concerns over what he described as irregularities in the list, including the alleged removal of eligible voters and the inclusion of deceased persons.
The DLP called for the election to be delayed, or for an extension of the registration period. However, prime minister and Barbados Labour party (BLP) leader Mia Mottley responded by taking the unprecedented step of inviting independent election observers from the Commonwealth and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Mottley defended the electoral process, saying the presence of observers is intended to safeguard the country’s image and electoral credibility.
Polling stations will open at 6 am on Wednesday and close at 6 pm, after which the vote-counting process will begin at centres across all 30 constituencies.
The EBC has reminded voters to bring their national identification cards to the polling station where they are registered to vote. A valid passport or driving licence may also be presented as official identification.
But individuals without these documents are still entitled to vote and should attend the polling station at which they are listed on the register of electors, she added.
Several restrictions will also be in effect on election day. Shops are prohibited from selling or displaying alcoholic beverages, and it is illegal to supply or sell alcohol during the 12 hours of voting. Political activity such as music, flags, loudspeakers, party badges and other propaganda is forbidden, and no one may congregate within 100 yards of any polling station.
Employers have also been warned that workers must be allowed “a reasonable period of not less than one hour” to vote. The EBC further cautioned: “Employers must not make any deductions from wages, salaries or any other remuneration, or impose upon any elector any penalty due to their absence for the period of voting.”
Some businesses have already responded, with several – including hardware retailer Carters – announcing early closures at 3 pm on Wednesday to allow employees time to cast their ballots.
The ruling BLP, led by Mottley, secured historic clean sweeps of the polls in both 2018 and January 2022. The DLP, now under the leadership of former BLP MP Ralph Thorne, is expected to mount its most competitive challenge since those successive defeats.
Supervisor of Elections Sherland Turton did not respond immediately to a request for comment on the repositioning of voting booths.
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