Activists urge people to register to vote

| 10/09/2020 | 40 Comments
  • Cayman News Service
  • Cayman News Service

(CNS): A new activist group, Amplify Cayman, which is campaigning for renewed political engagement by the community, has begun a voter drive to press home the need to register. Eden Hurlston, one of the members of the new group, explained to CNS that even for those who live in a constituency where no candidates appeals to them, being on the electoral roll gives people more power than they realise, even in non-election years. He said it also safeguards the right to vote in an unexpected referendum.

Hurlston said that 2021 is going to be a very important election, given the number of issues impacting ordinary people’s lives. A new movement is emerging in Cayman that wants to see real and lasting political change, and anyone entitled to vote should be playing a part to herald in that much needed change.

“It’s more important than ever to be a registered voter,” he said. “With so many challenges facing Cayman and the world right now, we must be involved in guiding our country and shaping our future. We need to use every resource at hand to bring solutions.”

Hurlston noted that voting is the simplest way to impact the Cayman Islands’ political will, by having a say in who represents us and a voice in holding those who are elected accountable. 

“If you’re not registered, they won’t listen,” he warned. “Activism, education, community building, right to livelihood, personal work and honest discussion, along with grasping that power of democracy, can empower Caymanians to make real, positive changes for Cayman.”

Amplify Cayman is now hosting registration information stations at Camana Bay every Wednesday and Saturday evening, as well as at pop-up stations in locations with foot traffic.

The importance of being on the electoral roll was highlighted by the recent political fallout over the Civil Partnership Law. Most of the politicians based their position on what the most vocal of the registered voters in their constituencies pressed on them, ignoring the views of those who are not registered to vote.

It is increasingly evident that many MLAs, while they are supposed to represent all of the people resident in their constituency, in reality respond only to pressure from those on the electoral register. Hurlston pointed out that with the significant lag in Cayman from the time an individual registers to their appearance on the roll, people can easily miss an important vote.

This was illustrated last year when the Cruise Port Referendum campaign successfully triggered a people-initiated referendum on the port project. But when the government set the date, hundreds of eligible voters who had not registered in time to get on the roll for the government’s chosen date would have missed out on their democratic right to participate if the legal challenge had not succeeded to stay that vote.

There are currently 21,824 voters on the roll, which will be updated on 1 October, but there are almost 6,000 people entitled to vote that are not registered. It is now 257 days until the 2021 General Election and the final deadline to make the roll in time to vote is 4 January.

For more details on how to register to vote visit the Elections Office website or visit the drive stations between 5pm and 8pm at Camana Bay.


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Category: 2021 General Elections, Elections, Politics

Comments (40)

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  1. Eden (Not Anonymous) Hurlston says:

    Hi. I’m NOT Anonymous, I’m Eden the guy in the article. First off, there are some great fresh candidates this election!
    As for me, I’m NOT running because:

    1. I have a young kid and my family is my primary focus right now.

    2. The community building attempts and activism I’m currently involved in benefit greatly from me having no political agenda- I’m not vying for votes, I’m standing for CaymanKind. Cayman must adapt the UN SDG17 as an objective metric for our direction. That is my main push… https://sdgs.un.org/goals

    3. The People have to stand behind accountability – we are the bosses. As much as I try (and often fail!) to be a good man, I don’t trust myself wielding power in a system where corruption and non-accountability is so easily allowed to fester and become the status quo. I can help that to change more as an active concerned citizen than as an LA.

    4. I might run at some point for sure, maybe with my bro and sis. But right now I don’t think any of us have the stomach for the foolishness in the LA. So we each advocate for a better Cayman, each in our own way, supporting each other, with the counsel of our loved ones and our supremely wise Mom.

    Anyway, Anonymous, hope that explains something to you. Register, Vote, Establish an Objective Metric for Progress, Maintain Accountability.

    • Terry Perry says:

      Well Eden how comforting to know that you wish to see changes in our elected representatives. You seem to be anti anything and everything. I for one am glad like possibly many others that you are not running you know why, cause that is the same rhetoric most if not all you Vociferously oppose Have drivelled the same mantra as you before being elected.

      Nothing different here folks, same old tactics ,same old spiel sounds like one of his favorite people who Speaks with a wig on.!

      Prove me wrong Eden don’t run but stand for election.

  2. Anonymous says:

    That electoral roll is a joke!!! Every single person on there should be verified! There are persons on there that haven’t lived in Cayman for about 20 years and persons showing in districts that they haven’t lived in since before the last election.

    • Sjsjshhshsh@snsjsjjsjs.ky says:

      I believe you can cast a ballot if you are not living on island. Lots of people were sending in their ballots for the cruise port referendum.

      Perhaps, constitutionally, if caymanians are angry at people who are off island voting, the MLAs should debate the issue of voter eligibility in the LA.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Vote Direct Rule 2021!

  4. Disgusted with the entitlement attitude says:

    In Cayman people’s votes are counted-really counted-yet I read some comments going on as if they are they bestowing their vote; like democracy should thank them for deigning to participate in the process. If you choose not to vote for change, then do not complain when nothing changes, simple. People criticize the MLAs we have, yet few are willing to put in the hard work it takes to replace them. In other countries people are killed for demanding that their electoral voice be allowed to ring true, while some of us here seem to think our voice is too good to be wasted voting. Pathetic.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Why encourage people to vote within a failed system?

  6. Anonymous says:

    I support this effort. Come on people, take your place in our democracy.

    • Anonymous says:

      We will not be party to the corruption.

      • Anonymous says:

        Yeah but you have to LIVE here!!!

        Do not be party and instead:

        E R A D I C A T E

        T H E

        C O R R U P T I O N !!!!!!!!!

        Do not be apathetic or lazy and DO something!

        • Anonymous says:

          The only way to
          E R A D I C A T E

          T H E

          C O R R U P T I O N !!!!!!!!!

          is to close down the system that enables corruption.

          I do not know of a single country based on the 4-year Western democracy model that are happy with the results of their system.

          Lazy people say, it is the only system we have.
          The truth is it needs to be changed.

          Voter cards should be smart cards secured via PIN or biometrically.

          For each issue being discussed, the people need to vote using a secure website or a machine in a post office or supermarket.

          The votes are tallied immediately and the will of the people is known.

          Each vote receives a unique confirmation code by email. This code is used for those who wish to remain anonymous.
          For those who are proud of their vote, they can choose the show name option.

          In my opinion, show name is the only way to eliminate voter fraud. It is the same thing as a show of hands. You know who is voting for what.

          A vote of no confidence could be executed in less than a week. Politicians would hate that which is why it won’t happen.

          No more days off for elections or referendums and the will of the majority on every issue.

          Surely that is the essence of democracy?

          The Roman Empire model is way outdated and was designed to concentrate power in the hands of the few.

          I ask you, What has changed in all these years?

          If true democracy was in place, the abomination that was World War 2 would never have happened.

          The people would have told the politicians to go fight the war themselves and leave the rest of us the hell alone.

          Government is totally corrupt to the core and it uses money to flex its muscle.

          No to big government, yes to true democracy and yes to the truth.

          As Wolfie Smith used to say, “Power to the People! ”

          Sorry young people, you will have to Google that…lol.

    • Roy says:

      What democracy??>?>

  7. Soldier Crab says:

    There should be an I.Q. test to establish eligibility to vote. 100 seems to be a good starting level.

  8. Anonymous says:

    !! I would rather have seen Eden run in the election !!

    Why are our young people so afraid to put their hats in the ring?

    I’d like to hear from anyone in the new Amplify movement tchime in, as those sentiments could shed real light on the true issues in Cayman.

    • Al Catraz says:

      Hear, hear!

      I second Eden’s nomination!

      It’s refreshing to see someone seizing the initiative to promote nothing more than good citizenship.

      • Anonymous says:

        who the heck dislikes these comments?? Would love to hear from the naysayers that are against our younger generations trying to encourage everyone eligible to vote to do so! So lame!!

        • Anonymous says:

          Maybe, if you are part of Amplify Cayman, instead of questioning the system of dislikes on CNS, you can tell us why the younger generation is not throwing their hats in the ring this election season…

  9. Anonymous says:

    Would love to register. I just need immigration to process my status application. It’s only been a year.

  10. Anonymous says:

    Young Caymanians, please start running for office. I’m sick of the same people over and over.

    • Anonymous says:

      One of the problems we have is the fact so few of our 66000 population are eligible to run or even vote for that matter. And many of our bright young Caymanians who are eligible are, despite what the anti expat, anti U.K. , anti everything it seems, naysayers are claiming, doing extremely well. ( I notice one of them applying to build a $1.5 million home this week in addition to the apartment he owns). There is no real incentive for them to run. That’s why if you look at MLAs over the last 40 years or more, you will find that, with a few honorable exceptions they are failed businessmen or failed civil servants…I would really love to name names but CNS would likely not print them. Some exceptions would be Alden, Kurt, Wayne , Roy Mctaggart , Capt Charles, Maybry etc. But you can fail in the civil service or private sector and get a huge paying job as an MLA. Hell, we even had a Speaker who had not had a job in either government or the private sector for 40 years. The LA is a gold mine.

      • Anonymous says:

        If the dump and pig sty of WBRs tunnels don’t get the younger generation hopping mad, nothing will.

        It was nice while it lasted S.S. Cayman Islands.

      • Anonymous says:

        Who can be eligible to run and do you think any person who can register should also be able to run?

  11. Anonymous says:

    And vote for who? No thanks.

    CNS: First paragraph: “even for those who live in a constituency where no candidates appeals to them, being on the electoral roll gives people more power than they realise, even in non-election years. He said it also safeguards the right to vote in an unexpected referendum.

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