ST. JOHN’S, Antigua (January 9, 2023)—Secure your voter’s identification card. That is the message to electors from the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission (ABEC) as the January 18, 2023 general election date draws closer.
The government issued card is integral to the process, as no elector shall be permitted to vote without it, ABEC Public Relations Officer Elisa Graham has said repeatedly.
For individuals who need replacement cards that may have been lost or stolen, dash—literally—to the ABEC headquarters at Queen Elizabeth Highway and expect to join a queue. Those needing to collect cards that are already processed may do so at the respective registration units, which have extended hours until 6 pm for this purpose.
Graham noted that electors needing to do so might collect cards at the headquarters on Election Day. People who find themselves adrift on January 18, having not made application for a replacement and who are duly registered, there are provisions, by law, for temporary cards.
Individuals who fall into this category must bring a passport-sized photograph to ABEC, where they will receive a temporary card that they will relinquish at the polling station after voting.
“That takes time, because based on the experience in the 2018 general elections, there were over 180 persons here at ABEC, on Election Day, waiting for that temporary ID card along with persons collecting voter ID cards,” Graham told Dadli Media Pop Up.
“We do run the risk of persons saying, ‘I went up to ABEC’s headquarters and it took so long.’ As much as possible for now, if you know you lost your card, please replace your card,” Graham added.
She noted as well that employers are obligated to give employees up to four hours to exercise their franchise. Leaving the collection and/or application for a voter’s ID card until the day of election may gobble up most of that time while an employee is still on the clock.
