Three months before election registration cut-off

(CNS): The elections office is reminding unregistered people who qualify to vote to take advantage of the current registration drive. There are just three months more to go for anyone who is entitled to and would like to vote in the May 2013 General Elections to get their names on the voter’s list. The elections office has confirmed that the final day for people to make the register in time for the national poll is 2 January 2013. Registering officers in the six electoral districts are urging all unregistered persons to take advantage of the on-going drive which will continue each Saturday until 1 December from 10am  to 2pm in all districts. 

Alongside the election’s office drive, local activists from the Grasp your Future Group have also been spearheading a campaign to help take the hassle out of the registration process. When the drive started there were an estimated 10,000 people in Cayman who qualify to vote but who have never registered. Spokesperson Kenneth Bryan told CNS Thursday that things were going really well with the campaign to get as many of those as possible signed up before Cayman goes to the polls next year.

The team has already undertake a number of in-house workplace voter drives with major local companies and is planning more over the coming weeks.

“Things are going great,” said Bryan. “We have started the in house initiative where we go to major companies and register their employees there at their office. That initiative has been very fruitful.”

A little disappointed with a lower than expected number of individual calls to the drive’s hotline, Bryan was hopeful that as the election cut-off date draws closer more people will call and ask to sign up to vote. Describing the profile of those that have used the service he said many were new Caymanians.

“It is interesting to note that close to 50% of the new registration we have done have been Caymanians via status.  I take this as a good sign that everyone seems to be getting involved and will take part in the next elections,” he said.

Meanwhile, anyone wishing to go to one of the election’s office district mobile units or to the office in Smith Road must complete the relevant forms and submit supporting evidence of their qualification to be a voter. 

The registering officers also reminded those who are already registered but have changed their name, street address or occupation that under the law they must, within 3 months after such a change, give notice in writing in Form 13 to the registering officer in the electoral district where they are registered to vote. If the change of street address is within another electoral district the elector must also provide a copy of the form to the registering officer in the new district.  Failure to comply with the Law will result in the elector being removed from the register of electors if he or she is no longer ordinarily resident in the district from which he or she has moved, officials warned.

Any companies that would like in invite the Grasp your Future team into their offices to facilitate their employees registration they should contact kennethbryan2@hotmail.com or call 326 8556 to arrange times.

See related story on CNS Business:
Businesses help voter drive
http://cnsbusiness.com/content/businesses-help-voter-drive