In response to concerns raised by the Human Rights Commission regarding possible disenfranchisement of quarantining voters, the Elections Office released a statement Friday saying it will be able to find a way for those in isolation to safely cast their ballots in the 14 April general election.
Elections Supervisor Wesley Howell said he believed his team could find a solution to enable isolated voters to exercise their constitutionally protected rights, without threatening the safety and well-being of the community.
“We are optimistic that we will be able to implement acceptable public health protocols that would allow specially trained elections workers in suitable personal protective equipment to poll individuals in isolation or quarantine through the already established mobile voting provision,” said Howell.
His comments came one day after the Human Rights Commission issued a press release stating that there was “no justification or legal basis for disenfranchisement of [quarantined] individuals”.
Section 92 of the Cayman Islands Constitution, which deals with the right to vote, lists only a few reasons for why a person should not be able to cast a ballot, including they had “been concerned in any offence connected with elections”, had not registered in that district or had already voted in a different constituency in the same election.
During an interview on the 11 Feb. broadcast of Rooster 101’s morning talk show, Cayman Crosstalk, Howell stated that it was not clear how many potential isolated voters could be impacted if there was no solution in place by Election Day.
Although it is not known how many voters will be in quarantine on 14 April, there are on average 800 people in isolation at any given time. Numbers that large could certainly have an effect on the outcome of the election. During the 2017 polls, in one district the winning candidate was determined by a margin of only 15 votes.
The Constitution sets out three ways for an eligible voter to cast a ballot – in-person, through mobile voting, and by mail-in ballots. Howell said during his Crosstalk interview that mobile voting was the only option for quarantining voters who must remain isolated.
The Friday statement from the Elections Office also set out the circumstances under which people can qualify for mobile voting:
- You are or are likely to be in a hospital, rest home or other similar institution on Election Day or because you are a geriatric at home
- You are blind or have any other physical incapacity and are unable to go in person to the polling station or unable to go unaided
- You are unable to go in person to the polling station because of the general nature of your occupation, service or employment
- You are working on Election Day (e.g. polling staff, police, medical personnel etc.)
The deadline for both mobile voting and postal ballot applications is 6 April.
Application forms are available at the Elections Office website and can be emailed to office@elections.ky or delivered in person to the Elections Office.
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