A re-registration of all eligible voters will take place this year

The Cabinet has decided that it will undertake a complete re-registration of all
eligible voters in Antigua and Barbuda and that this exercise will take place
sometime this calendar year.
That was one of the outcomes of discussions that took place between the Cabinet
and a delegation from the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission at
Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting.
Cabinet spokesman, Ambassador Lionel Max Hurst said the Cabinet decided that it
will go the route of a complete re-registration of all voters rather than just
replacing the Voter ID Cards all of which will expire this year.
“The re-registration is superior to merely renewing the cards since renewal is done
much like you do a passport renewal; you present your documents and the card is
subsequently renewed and issued to the voter. Whereas, re-registration requires
that the voter begins the process all over again,” Hurst explained.
He further explained that the intention is to go to parliament to pass the requisite
legislation that will give the re-registration the full backing of the parliament of
Antigu and Barbuda.
Hurst did not give a date when this exercise will commence, but noted that
replacement of the cards and re-registration was the option favoured by the
opposition United Progressive Party during its term in office, 2004-14
“We think that ten years have passed and now that the cards are about to expire,
that re-registration would be the just, more equitable way to go; so, we are going
the route of re-registration,” he remarked.
Five officials from ABEC including the Supervisor of Elections, Ian Hughes,
attended the meeting on Wednesday and according to the Cabinet Notes, following
intense discussions, it was agreed that re-registration will be preferable since it will
preserve the integrity of the voters’ list. A precise date for the start of the process
has not yet been decided.