Electoral roll increases by 79 new voters

(CNS): The latest voter register published on the Elections Office website on Thursday has increased by 79 electors, up from 21,824 in July to 21,903, leaving well over 5,000 qualified people still not registered to vote. However, the next three-month voter registration period has added significance because it is the last for people to register and be added to the list in time to vote in the May 2021 General Election.

It appears likely that by the time Cayman goes to the polls in 236 days to elect a new government, there will be more than 22,000 people on the electoral roll compared to the 21,227 voters who were eligible to take part in the 2017 General Election.

However, officials estimate that there are many thousands of people who are qualified to vote but have opted not to exercise their democratic right. For reasons ranging from political apathy to wanting to avoid jury duty, many people who are entitled to vote miss out on the opportunity to choose their representative or take part in referendums.

Nevertheless, the register is slowly growing (see chart below) and in this new list most constituencies added a handful of voters, though only Prospect (+12) and West Bay South (+10) grew by double digits. The two constituencies on the Sister Islands fell by five voters collectively, and George Town West, North Side and West Bay West each dropped by just one voter.

Bodden Town East remains the largest constituency with 1,533 voters and Bodden Town West still the second largest with 1,482, both up by eight compared to July’s list. The smallest constituency is Cayman Brac East with just 464 voters.

CBE also has the oldest average age for voters at 57, while the constituency with the youngest voters is Newlands, where the average age is 47. The average age of voters overall however is 52 and women still outstrip men, making up 53% of the electorate, though this is down slightly from 54% in July.

The deadline to make the list for the May general election is 4 January and the Elections Office is preparing for a possible significant surge in new voters.

For more details on how to register to vote visit the election website here. Local activists Amplify Cayman are also hosting regular election drives in Camana Bay Saturday and Wednesday evenings.