Work underway on new election landscape
(CNS): The official Cayman Islands Register of Electors currently stands at 23,496 voters, which is 2,270 more than in 2017, the year of the first election under the system of ‘one man, one vote’. While the number of voters has increased by only 9% in the last six years, the growth is concentrated in certain constituencies, which has created a significant imbalance (see chart below). As a result, a review of the boundaries is now underway.
In January this year, the governor reappointed the original Electoral Boundary Commission that created the 19 single-member constituencies in 2015. However, it appears that work to review the constituency map did not begin until recently.
According to a government press release, the commission has met with the Economics and Statistics Office (ESO) and the Lands and Survey Department as part of their work to ensure fair representation and equitable distribution of electoral districts.
During a series of meetings between April 18 and 21, the teams reviewed the 2021 Census data and the Labour Force Survey population estimates. The commissioners also considered other relevant matters that were not outlined and visited the constituencies to determine whether any changes were needed to the current boundaries.
While the current number of registered voters in each electoral district suggests that a change in boundaries will likely be required, the commission has to consider the number of eligible Caymanians not yet registered and the rate of growth and decline of the constituencies.
“We are committed to ensuring that the electoral districts in the Cayman Islands are fair, balanced, and reflect the needs and aspirations of the people,” said EBC Chairperson Dr Lisa Handley. “These meetings with ESO and Lands and Survey were extremely helpful in reviewing population data and development trends.”
Handley and her colleagues, local attorneys Adriannie Webb and Steve McField, have the task of juggling historical constituency boundaries while ensuring a relatively even distribution of voters.
Cayman Brac East remains the smallest constituency in the Cayman Islands, with just 459 voters, and the second smallest is Cayman Brac West and Little Cayman, which now has 570 voters. But as the Constitution provides for the Sister Islands to get two representatives, it is likely that a change will be required to even up these two constituencies.
The smallest constituency on Grand Cayman is East End, which has just 764 voters, while its neighbouring constituency of Bodden Town East is the largest, with 1,648. But the historical boundaries of North Side and East End with the district of Bodden Town are sensitive, and it may prove difficult for the commissioners to redraw those boundary lines.
But if the East End and North Side boundaries remain the same, then shifting the BTE western border East will not improve the situation as Bodden Town West is the second largest constituency on Grand Cayman and borders the two fastest growing districts of Savannah and Newlands.
The commissioners will also need to take a look at the growing gaps between the size of constituencies in George Town, where the largest constituency in the capital is GTE, with 1,442 voters, while GTW, the smallest, has 1,265. The boundaries in West Bay are also likely to be redrawn since the smallest constituency of West Bay Central is now home to only 1,171 voters, while West Bay South now has 1,550 voters.
The Electoral Boundary Commission will meet again this month and will hold both public consultation events and meetings with Members of Parliament. There are also plans to travel to the Sister Islands to undertake similar meetings and reviews.
For more information or to provide feedback, email the Electoral Boundary Commission at ebc@elections.ky
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“Bodden Town West is the second largest constituency on Grand Cayman and borders the two fastest growing districts of Savannah and Newlands.”
Correction: Neither Savannah or Newlands are districts. They are communities in the district of Bodden Town.
They are “Electoral Districts” dum dum.
Wrong. They are electoral districts formed under the constitution.
Wrong. There is no constitution.
Google it. Not hard to find.
Thanks for the suggestion. Did that, found an “Order In Council.” Still no constitution.
Read the sign in the picture.
Now the roosters come home. WE that can vote will deal with those that don’t look after us and wait to listen to everyone else who can’t vote. Always when it comes around goes around. We remember.
McKeeva edged Mario by just 27 votes, a third of which were mail-in/mobile votes. There are many households on the register that haven’t lived in Cayman for over a decade. Others that are dead.
And some are not even Caymanian…
A squeaky clean criminal record should be a fundamental basic hurdle for anyone expecting to be entrusted with a 6 figure comp package, to handle public money, decide laws, and form policy. If the Nolan Principles and good governance means anything.
Finally, the surge of permanent resident expats is becoming Caymanian. We may not be able to run for office but we can influence elections…welcome to the 21st Century Cayman.
11 representatives max. One for the Sister Islands (vote Elvis 2025!) and one for the combined EE/NS.
i think the constituency areas need to be made bigger (perhaps by combining some of them) so the election results are more representative of what the majority of voters want.
too many people are winning by tiny margins, based on what direction the wind is blowing that day.
unless you join CBE & CBW.
EE & NS Its a complete waste of time.
We really screwed this island up by introducing single member constituencies. Our island is far to small to have such a division. We are all paying the price for it now with the low number required to elect officials into post.
On a different note its high time we amend and adjust; there is absolutely no justification for the sister island having two representatives. Likewise (regardless of historical ties) Northside and East End should be also be combined if we are to make the voter districts similar in size.
Well some of this looks easy enough to do from a map.
Although I’ve only lived here 20 years so maybe don’t appreciate all of the nuances.
The northern bit of West Bay South (The Shores) could be absorbed in to West Bay Central and that would be an easy redistribution.
Split everything in half except NS EE and Sister Islands. Also cut the salaries in half since most dont work snyway.