Barbados

Representation of the People Act (1991, last amended 2007)

Updated: June 2015

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Section 7 states:

A person is qualified to be registered as an elector for a constituency if, on the qualifying date, he/she:

  • (a) is a citizen of Barbados; or
  • (b) is a Commonwealth citizen (other than a citizen of Barbados) who has resided in Barbados for a period of at least three years immediately before the qualifying date and
  • (c) is eighteen years of age or over…

 

Excerpt from the Representation of the People Act (1991, last amended 2007)

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Section 8 states:

A person is disqualified from being registered as an elector and shall not be so registered if he

  • (a) is a person found or declared to be a person of unsound mind or a patient in any establishment maintained wholly or mainly for the reception and treatment of persons suffering from mental illness or mental defectiveness by virtue of any enactment…

 

Section 32, subsection (2) states:

Where at any time between the issue of a writ and the declaration of the result of the election the returning officer dies or becomes incapable of performing his functions as such, the election clerk, where only one such clerk has been appointed or the senior election clerk, where more than one such clerk has been appointed, shall forthwith report the fact to the Commission and shall perform the functions of the returning officer until some other returning officer is appointed or the returning officer ceases to be incapable of performing his functions, as the case may be.

 

Section 33, subsection (3) states:

Where any presiding officer dies or becomes incapable of performing his functions during the taking of the poll, the poll clerk, where only one such clerk has been appointed, or the senior poll clerk, where more than one such clerk has been appointed, shall report the fact to the Supervisor of Elections and shall, until some other person is appointed as presiding officer by the Supervisor of Elections, perform the functions of the presiding officer and may appoint some other person to act as poll clerk.

 

Section 43A, subsection (2) states:

Where, after the appointment of a polling agent but before the opening of a poll, a polling agent becomes incapable of carrying out his duties, a new polling agent shall be appointed and the name of the new polling agent shall thereupon be submitted to the Returning Officer for the constituency in which the poll is to be held.

 

Section 68, subsection (3) states:

Without prejudice to the generality of paragraphs (a) and (f) of subsection (1) and subsection (2), regulations [by the Commission] made with respect to the matters therein mentioned may contain provisions…

  • (d) as to the evidence which shall or may be required or deemed sufficient or conclusive evidence of a person being subject to any physical incapacity and as to its probable duration…

 

Second Schedule, section 22, subsection (4) states:

If an agent dies, or becomes incapable of acting, the candidate may appoint another agent in his place, and shall forthwith give to the returning officer notice in writing of the name and address of the agent appointed.

 

Second Schedule, section 30, subsection (1) states:

The presiding officer shall, on the application of

  • (a) a voter who is incapacitated by blindness or other physical cause from voting in a manner directed by these rules; or
  • (b) a voter who declares orally that he is unable to read, cause the vote of the voter to be marked on a ballot paper in the manner directed by the voter and the ballot paper to be placed in the ballot box.

 

Excerpts from the Representation of the People Act (1991, last amended 2007)

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Section 57 states:

(1) A candidate or his election agent may apply to the Court for relief and such relief may be granted to a candidate or his election agent in respect of any failure to transmit the return and declaration as to election expenses or in respect of any error or false statement therein.

(2) The application for relief may be made on the ground that the failure, error or false statement arose because of--

  • (a) the illness of the applicant; or
  • (b) the absence, death, illness or misconduct of the candi- date’s election agent or of any clerk or officer of such agent, where the applicant is the candidate; or
  • (c) the death or illness of any prior election agent of the candidate or the absence, death, illness or misconduct of any clerk or officer of any election agent of the candidate where the applicant is the election agent...

 

Second Schedule, section 24 states:

The presiding officer shall regulate the number of voters to be admitted to the polling station at the same time and shall exclude all other persons except…

  • (e) the companions of blind or incapacitated voters…

 

Second Schedule, section 27, subsection (3) states:

A ballot paper shall be issued to any person whose name appears on the register in use for that election and who is unable to produce an identification card, if he satisfies the presiding officer

  • (a) that he has not been issued with an identification card; or
  • (b) that he has been issued with an identification card which is lost or destroyed.

 

Second Schedule, section 30, subsection (1) states:

The presiding officer shall, on the application of

  • (a) a voter who is incapacitated by blindness or other physical cause from voting in a manner directed by these rules; or
  • (b) a voter who declares orally that he is unable to read, cause the vote of the voter to be marked on a ballot paper in the manner directed by the voter and the ballot paper to be placed in the ballot box.

 

Second Schedule, section 31 states:

(1) Where a voter makes an application to the presiding officer to be allowed on the ground of blindness or other physical cause to vote with the assistance of another person by whom he is accompanied (in these rules referred to as “the companion”), the presiding officer shall require the voter to declare orally whether he is so incapacitated by his blindness or otherwise as to be unable to vote without assistance.

(2) Where the presiding officer is satisfied that the voter is so incapacitated and is also satisfied by a written declaration made by the companion (in these rules referred to as “the declaration made by the companion of a blind or incapacitated voter”) that the companion is a qualified person within the meaning of this rule and has not previously assisted more than one blind or incapacitated person to vote at the election, the presiding officer shall grant the application, and thereupon anything which is by these rules required to be done to, or by, the said voter in connection with the giving of his vote may be done to, or with the assistance of, the companion.

(3) For the purposes of this rule, a person shall be qualified to be a “companion” if that person has attained the age of 18 years and is selected by any blind or incapacitated voter to assist that voter in casting his or her vote. (4) The name and number in the register of electors of every voter whose vote is given in accordance with this rule and the name and address of the companion shall be entered on a list (in these rules referred to as “the list of blind or incapacitated voters assisted by companions”)…

 

Excerpts from the Representation of the People Act (1991, last amended 2007)

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Section 32, subsection (2) states:

Where at any time between the issue of a writ and the declaration of the result of the election the returning officer dies or becomes incapable of performing his functions as such, the election clerk, where only one such clerk has been appointed or the senior election clerk, where more than one such clerk has been appointed, shall forthwith report the fact to the Commission and shall perform the functions of the returning officer until some other returning officer is appointed or the returning officer ceases to be incapable of performing his functions, as the case may be.

 

Section 33, subsection (3) states:

Where any presiding officer dies or becomes incapable of performing his functions during the taking of the poll, the poll clerk, where only one such clerk has been appointed, or the senior poll clerk, where more than one such clerk has been appointed, shall report the fact to the Supervisor of Elections and shall, until some other person is appointed as presiding officer by the Supervisor of Elections, perform the functions of the presiding officer and may appoint some other person to act as poll clerk.

 

Section 43A, subsection (2) states:

Where, after the appointment of a polling agent but before the opening of a poll, a polling agent becomes incapable of carrying out his duties, a new polling agent shall be appointed and the name of the new polling agent shall thereupon be submitted to the Returning Officer for the constituency in which the poll is to be held.

 

Second Schedule, section 22, subsection (4) states:

If an agent dies, or becomes incapable of acting, the candidate may appoint another agent in his place, and shall forthwith give to the returning officer notice in writing of the name and address of the agent appointed.

 

Excerpts from the Representation of the People Act (1991, last amended 2007)