The names of the 15 persons elected as Members of the Legislative Assembly could be known as early as 1am or 2am on Thursday.
This would be seven or eight hours after the polls close on Wednesday evening.
In contrast, the last General Election results, in November 2000, were not known for more than 27 hours.
The relatively early results are expected this year because of amendments made to the Elections Law. In the past, in each electoral district, ballot boxes had to be transported to a single counting place. There, only the returning officer or deputy could open the boxes, one at a time, and record and count the votes.
This year, for the first time, deputy returning officers will be counting ballots at each polling division. They will report their results to the returning officer, who will announce the winner or winners for the whole district.
The Elections Office is maintaining a 300-foot perimeter around all counting stations and members of the public are asked to cooperate in the maintenance of good order.
Supervisor of Elections Kearney Gomez has on several occasions discussed a projected schedule with the people involved in the counting of ballots.
Polls close at 6pm, but voters in line inside the polling station will be allowed to cast their ballots. Then the presiding officers will seal the ballot box slot, check various records, and ascertain that all ballots, used and unused, are accounted for. Presiding officers then deliver their ballot boxes to the returning officer or deputy returning officer.
Mr. Gomez said the counting in all six electoral districts will start at the same time. This would be 7pm at the earliest.
The following completion times are estimated. Factors include the number of voters and the number of votes to be counted on each ballot. Voters may choose as many candidates as the district has seats in the Legislative Assembly.
Another factor is the number of postal ballots returned in that district, since postal ballots take more time to process.
East End, with 591 voters on the Register of Electors, is expected to have results by 9.30pm. Voters may choose one of two candidates.
North Side, with 570 voters, is also expected to conclude by 9.30pm. Voters may choose one of three candidates.
Bodden Town, with 2,786 voters, is estimated to complete the count between midnight and 1am. The district has eight candidates; with three seats in the Assembly, voters may choose up to three candidates.
Cayman Brac and Little Cayman comprise one electoral district, with 910 voters. There are seven candidates vying for two Assembly seats, so voters may choose up to two. Results may be known between midnight and 1am.
West Bay, with 3,231 voters, has 12 candidates. Voters may choose up to four. Results are anticipated between 1am and 2am.
George Town has 5,030 voters and 13 candidates. The voters may choose up to four candidates to fill the district’s four seats. Results are anticipated between 1am and 2am.
Both Mr. Gomez and Deputy Supervisor of Elections Orrett Connor cautioned that these times are estimates only, not guarantees. ‘But,’ Mr. Connor added, ‘we certainly guarantee that it won’t go as late as it did last time.’
Last time the final results, in George Town, were not known until around 9.45pm Thursday.
The counting process
The counting of the ballots takes place in the presence of a poll clerk and not less than two witnesses, who are supplied with tally sheets to keep score as the returning officer or deputy calls out the votes.
Candidates and candidate agents may be present and may see the face of each ballot, but not the official number on the back side.
A ballot will be rejected if it has not been marked for any candidate. It will also be rejected if it shows more votes cast than the district has seats. If there is any writing on the ballot that could identify the voter, it will be rejected. Such writing does not include marks by the presiding officer.
Voters have been asked to mark an X to the right of the name of the candidate or candidates they wish to elect. If the mark is not in the proper place, or is something other than an X (such as a tick or a cross), the vote will count if it clearly appears that it was intended for a particular candidate.
The returning officer or deputy will keep a record of any objection to any ballot found in a ballot box. The returning officer is the one who decides every question arising from an objection. That decision is final, unless someone files a petition to the Grand Court complaining of the ‘undue election’ or ‘undue return’ of a member.
Recounts
A recount may occur at any time in the counting process. Any candidate who is not satisfied with the accuracy of the count of a particular ballot box may immediately demand a recount of that box. The recount will then be done in the same manner as the original count. No candidate may demand more than one recount of a particular ballot box.
Results
Each returning officer will be counting postal ballots at the main counting station in the district. As required, deputy returning officers will count at sub-stations, which will be at the various polling locations.
The deputy returning officers will communicate their results to the returning officer at the main counting station.
The returning officer makes the announcement for his or her district.
For East End, the main and only counting station is the William Allen McLaughlin Civic Centre. Returning officer is Mr. Dale Banks.
For North Side, the main and only counting station is the Craddock Ebanks Civic Centre. Returning officer is Ms Jennifer Kaufman.
For Bodden Town, the main counting station is at Pedro Castle. Returning officer is Mr. Lee Ramoon.
In Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, the counting will be done at the Administration Building in Stake bay. Returning officer is Mr. Dave Tatum.
In West Bay, the main counting station is the John A Cumber Primary School Hall. Returning officer is Mr. Delano Solomon.
In George Town the main counting station is the Mary Miller Hall (near Prospect Primary School). Returning officer is Mr. Philip Barnes.
In a one-seat district: the candidate with the largest number of votes will be declared by the returning officer to be elected as the member for that district.
In a district with two, three or four seats: the two, three or four candidates with the largest number of votes will be declared as elected.
Tie votes
In case of tie between two or more candidates, when one more vote would entitle a candidate to be elected, the returning officer will declare that there has been ‘an equality of votes’.
In that case, none of the candidates involved in the tie vote has been elected. The returning officer will hold a special by-election in that district as soon as possible. Only the candidates involved in the tie will be eligible to be candidates in the by-election.
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