Some Bahamians Not Interested In Voting

February 5, 2007

Some Eligible Voters Have No Interest In Voting:
By Rogan M. Smith
Nassau, Bahamas:

Political candidates in the upcoming general election have their work cut out for them. Some potential voters say they aren’t interested in voting and say they have no intention of even registering.

On Thursday night, Prime Minister Perry Christie made a public plea for eligible Bahamians to register, but not everyone who is eligible plans to do so.

"I don’t want to vote. Everyone has a right to, but I just don’t want to. That’s my right, too," one potential voter said. "I don’t think there’s anything that a politician can do to get me to vote."

Sherika Christie said she hasn’t had the time to register.

"I’ll probably do it on my day off. I was just not interested in voting," she said.

"I wasn’t going to do it this year. I’m just not feeling it. I don’t feel like the government is doing anything in my area. I live in Kemp Road."

Another man said he hasn’t registered yet, but he will before the register closes.

"I haven’t voted yet. There’s really no rush. I’ll probably do that before March," he said.

"No, I haven’t voted yet, but I will soon."

Another man said Bahamian voters are disillusioned and he has "no interest" in voting.

"Why should I vote? What’s the point? I was working before the election and I’ll probably work after it," he said.

"I’m not a voter and I will not register."

But there are approximately 110,000 people who have already registered, according to Parliamentary Commissioner Errol Bethel.

Many of them registered months ago.

Patsy Newbold, a nurse at Princess Margaret Hospital, said she immediately registered once she heard the registry was open.

"I believe I have a voice and as soon as I heard the register was open I went over to the post office building [and registered]. I’m a citizen and I want to make my voice heard and I feel that one of the ways I can do that is by voting, and so I registered so I’m ready to go," she said.

"I feel that we as a people in this country are very reactive. When deadlines are set it mobilizes people. So I’m quite sure if they were to do a compilation of persons who are registered between the time of that announcement you would see an increase. They will register and they will vote."

Darrell Gray said he registered late last year.

"I registered in November. I didn’t want to wait for the last minute," he said.

Carl Braynen said he registered a year ago.

"That’s my duty as a citizen of the Bahamas. I’m ready for election any day now," he said.

"I’m a proactive person. I like to be involved in a responsible way. As a citizen I feel that one should at least register.

Prime Minister Christie announced that the current register will close on Monday, March 12.

While the current register closes on March 12, Mr. Bethel explained that voter registration will continue on the new register, but he said voter registration will stop immediately once the governor general issues election writs.

Mr. Bethel explained that there will be no notice revealing when the writs will be issued, hence the importance of getting registered by March 12.

Officials are trying to get another 50,000 Bahamians registered.