EBC agrees to Kamla's call for parties to verify special ballots

Hours after Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Tuesday called on the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) to allow political parties to witness the sorting of special ballots, the EBC acquiesced, as indicated in a text message by the commission to Newsday late last evening.

The EBC statement suggested that in the time period between a verbal conversation between Persad-Bissessar and the commission, earlier on Tuesday, and the UNC leader's dispatch of a letter to the commission later that day, the EBC had decided to agree to her request.

Persad-Bissessar on Tuesday afternoon told Newsday that a special voter can vote at any one of several special voting stations across Trinidad, after which the EBC will sort out the votes and send them to the relevant electoral district, to be added to the votes cast on election day, with all being counted on Monday evening for the 141 electoral districts.

She said 13,000 special voters have from Monday to tomorrow (Thursday) to vote, even as normal voters must wait to cast their ballot on Monday.

Emphasising the importance of special ballots and the need for them to be carefully handled, she related, "Many times we are winning a seat, but with the special ballots coming in, we end up losing. I've seen that at every election. We are paying special attention (this time)."

Her earlier letter to the EBC asked them to let the UNC and other political parties witness the sorting of special ballots. Failure to do so, the UNC warned, would have led to legal action.

"A telephone enquiry was made to your office today and the response has prompted me as the political leader of the UNC to write to you requesting that a representative of the UNC (and any other political party which would like to avail themselves of the option) be allowed to witness the opening of the ballot boxes from the additional special polling stations and the sorting of those ballots for distribution to the various electoral districts.

"I am of the considered opinion that the law provides for witnesses to be present when the ballot boxes from the said additional special polling stations are opened and the ballots contained in the covering envelopes are sorted and placed into envelopes to be sent to the returning officers of the various electoral districts," Persad-Bissessar said in the letter to the EBC.

She told Newsday her request was to witness the sorting of ballots from all special polling stations including newly-established additional special stations in Port of Spain, San Fernando, Piarco, Moruga and the TT police service.

Quoting the Election Rules (rule 84), she opined, "The presence of witnesses for the opening of ballot boxes on election day, as well as the counting of the ballots and the recording of spoiled ballots are all events which are allowed to take place in the presence of the candidate, his agent or a representative polling agent who has sworn a declaration of secrecy."

Saying candidates and election agents may be present when blank ballot papers are issued and placed into the envelopes and sent to the address selected by a special voter, she argued, "It is therefore only logical that the opening of the ballot box after the ballots have been cast and the sorting of those ballots in the envelopes bearing the name and address of the voter should be witnessed by a representative."

Persad-Bissessar said the handling of those ballots should be done within full view and scrutiny of a candidate's representative.

"I am therefore requesting that you reconsider the position stated in your prior telephone conversation with our party member that witnesses are not allowed at the sorting of the ballots which is due to take place on Friday 11th August 2023 at the EBC Head Office."

She asked that if the EBC declined to let the UNC to witness this process, could the EBC provide reasons for its decision, as she cited the integrity of the process and public confidence in it.

"We therefore anxiously await your response by 12 noon on Wednesday, August 9, 2023.

"Should you fail to respond, the UNC will be constrained to seek judicial intervention in this matter to ensure that the sanctity of the democratic electoral process as prescribed by the Representation of the People Act is maintained and conducted in accordance with the letter as well as the spirit and intent of the law."

By Tuesday evening the EBC had replied in the affirmative to Newsday's queries.

"I confirm the letter was received by the Chief Election Officer (Fern Narcis-Scope).

"In a meeting of the commission earlier today and before receipt of the correspondence from the UNC, the CEO discussed the issue raised by the UNC and the commission had agreed to invite political parties to witness this process."