The Two-Month Window That Can Shift Elections

With municipal elections just eight months away and political hopefuls already hitting the ground in cities and towns across the country, the workload for the Elections and Boundaries Department increases significantly. The months of July and August hold particular significance since it is the only time voters can transfer their votes from one constituency to another. News Five’s Shane Williams takes a look into the process and importance of Belize’s transfer period.

 

Shane Williams, Reporting

How important is Belize’s voter transfer period? With municipal elections set for March 2027, the transfer period over these next two months is the last opportunity for Belizeans to transfer into polling areas voting for city and town councils.

 

Briony Neal, Registering Officer, Elections & Boundaries Department

“So let’s say I was living in Camalote. I now live in Belize City and I won’t be going to Camalote to go and vote. I’m living in Belize City. I want to be within Belize City. I want my voice to be heard within Belize City so I transfer my vote, Now would be the time for to do that. So I would be able to vote within the municipal elections come March.”

 

On paper, voters transfer to another electoral division because they have moved. But in reality, those transfers are often driven by something far less innocent: political corruption. There is expected to be a spike in transfers from villages to municipalities over the next two months as political officers pad their voting lists by offering incentives for individuals from other constituencies. And the Elections and Boundaries Department is tasked with making sure transfers are legitimate.

 

Dennis Leslie, Acting Registering Officer, Elections & Boundaries Dept.

“Once you are not home after we do our first check, usually we do like three checks to confirm if the person live deh or not. If after the third time you do your investigation and nobody knows the person or something like that then the onus is on you to decide if that person is going to be disallowed or not.”

 

While the investigation is extremely limited and being disallowed is extremely rare, it is an offense to lie and register at an address illegally. The penalty is a fine up to one thousand dollars or imprisonment of up to two years. And while the law speaks to a punishment for individuals who knowingly object falsely to a registration application… And makes it an offence for registering officers to omit or frustrate the registration of an individual with fine and or confinement, there is no offense for registering officers approving unqualified registrations, which is why the investigations in most cases are just formalities. The first list for the month of July will be produced on Wednesday, July 15^th. We will be looking to see how many people transfer into the municipalities. Shane Williams for News Five.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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