Overseas Students: Why Can’t We Vote Online?
[Updated with PLP, OBA & UBP response] Two Bermudian college students have started an online initiative with the hopes of obtaining online voting for Bermudians studying overseas.
The subject of students ability to vote has been much discussed since Premier Paula Cox called the election, which falls on Monday December 17th. Numerous comments have been left on Bernews, and via social media with students complaining they will not be able to participate in the electoral process.
One of the students behind the new initiative, Danielle Lightbourn, said: “I believe that all Bermudians are entitled to vote. I do feel that it is a breach of human rights to prevent a registered Bermudian from voting simply because they are doing examinations overseas on the date of the 2012 election [Dec. 17th].
“Many Bermudians between the ages of 18-25 are overseas working on Undergraduate and Graduate degrees and are unable to come home to vote due to examination schedules. Many of these Bermudians are bettering themselves so that they can come home and better Bermuda.”
“As a result, Kelsey Pichery [A Bermudian studying overseas who is now unable to vote due to examinations overseas] and I have developed a page on Facebook with the hope of obtaining online voting for Bermudian’s studying overseas. If we can register to vote online, why is it that we cannot vote online? We live in a computer savvy world. ”
Their Facebook page says: “This is a non-partisan initiative to identify the number of registered voters who will be unable to participate in the 2012 BDA Election. This initiative hopes to bring Bermudians together as one community where everyone’s voice can be heard.
“Every voice deserves to be heard, including those voices who are overseas at university or for other reasons during the election time period. Through this initiative we hope to obtain online voting for Bermudians who are unable to be in Bermuda to vote. By passing online voting through legislation, all Bermudians will be free to vote wherever they are in the world for the future of their Island.”
You can join their Facebook page here and students who are unable to vote are asked to fill out their online survey here.
Update 8.25pm: OBA Leader Craig Cannonier said: “First, we commend Danielle Lightbourn, Kelsey Pichery and other students for getting involved in the fight to have their voices heard. Bermuda is their country as much as anyone else’s and they should be able to have a say in its future.
“This issue was at the forefront of our thinking when we delivered our first Throne Speech Reply in 2011.
At the time, we said an OBA Government would ‘immediately overhaul the Parliamentary Elections Act to involve as many citizens as possible in decisions about the future of the Island. We will extend the advance poll for those who are travelling, and absentee ballots to students living abroad.’
“Our stand on this issue is anchored to one of the OBA’s founding principles – inclusiveness. We want a Bermuda in which no one if left behind and that extends to making sure all who can vote can vote.
“Our aim is to bring people together, not just to work together but to give them a greater say in the future of their Island. This is the kind of hope and change we want for Bermuda.
“We are confident online voting can become a reality. There will be no difficulty in adopting a system whereby absentee ballots are made available to students who are on the voters list,” Mr Cannonier concluded.
Update 8.27pm: A PLP spokesperson also responded, saying: “”Any time an election is called, there will be people unable to participate in the process. In setting the election dates throughout the PLP’s tenure we have strived to accommodate our students and encouraged maximum participation by eligible voters.
“The Progressive Labour Party is examining the various options surrounding absentee balloting ensuring that adequate protection is in place to maintain the validity and legitimacy of the electoral process.
“We understand that many students will be at home in time to participate and we look forward to sharing our vision for the future and our 10 point action plan to create jobs and opportunity for all Bermudians in the time leading up to the general election.”
Update 9.46pm: The UBP said: “Kim Swan and Charlie Swan have for some time called for amendments to the way Bermuda elections are held. Specifically, we have called for debate on absentee balloting, for a system based to a greater degree on a proportional representation system, and for fixed term elections.
“An attempt by us to put a motion on absentee balloting was defeated some time ago. The idea that all voters eligible to vote, should vote, is a mantra we support.
“For many, obtaining the right to vote required a struggle. That right comes with responsibilities…..know your politicians, parties and what they stand for. Read and ask tough questions of our leaders. Gain understanding….and vote responsibly.
“We support the efforts of students who feel disenfranchised. We support a voting system that truly advances one man one vote, each vote of equal value, a system that removes political interference from the electoral process.
“Unfortunately, absentee balloting can not occur overnight, and certainly not for this election….the process an be in place for the next election….we believe it should and will work to ensure it is.”
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Here is the issue. In a place where 5 votes decide elections. How can you be sure that the person voting is actually the person supposed to be voting.
I can see it now, parents requesting votes for students.
I think we’ll get there soon, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable having close elections no knowing exactly who is voting.
Students away in school should say so and thus be provided with an online I.D. that can only vote once, its pretty simple actually. Someone else gets your username and password, that sounds like your fault, your vote should be more valuable than your wallet, you only get one. Anyone who says just buy a ticket and fly home have clearly never paid for overseas schooling, you think the school cares if you fail exams? You think they refund your money?
The ONLY way to fix this injustice is to vote for change! The OBA has promised to bring in absentee voting. It’s in their Platform….go on the oba website (oba.bm) and check it out!! And tell your friends to throw the PLP out!! You will never get change is you don’t change things!!
There’s no injustice, if the election was called for right before or after Christmas Ppl would complain that their Christmas shopping and vacations are interrupted. Why would the PLP want to lose the votes of students who are voting for PLP? Silly rabbit. Oh I think I understand you elitist mindsets….you think only the “elite” UPB/OBA voting block are in university overseas. Slap yourself and think again!
The plp like their voters dumbed-down and shallow. Educated young voters in touch with REALITY would never vote against their own well-being by voting for the plp. That’s why students abroad have been stopped in their tracks, most likely would have voted for the OBA. This was no accident, the plp will do, say, promise ANYTHING to get re-elected!!
@ come Correct: It would be wonderful if that system were in place, but it isn’t, at least not yet, despite YEARS of saying they would get to it, including complaining vociferously about the lack when they were the Opposition. Promises, promises, promises.SMH
Why wait until an election is called to start crying about online voting. They should of thought of this before they left for university. If they were involved in political machinery before they would know this just can’t be done with a wave of a wand.
Because it was only when the election was called they found that they’d be unable to vote.
This isn’t rocket science.
one would know, (if you were interested) that elections had to be called before Feb 2013. this was still something that could have been thought about prior to this date.
The fact is that the plp called the vote for a date that they specifically KNOW will make it impossible for the overwhelming majority of students to participate; this is definitely NOT a coincidence. Had the election been called for just a few days later, many of them could have voted. But as in the US, where the Republicans repeatedly tried to disenfranchise eligible voters, the plp’s one and only priority is to keep themselves in power.
As to the comment that the students “should have known” that this could take place, that is irrelevant, as this is the very group that the plp is disenfranchising. Would their voices be heard? Clearly not. This is a case of blaming the victims.
Absentee voting is dead easy to enact for such a miniscule population. Where there’s a will there’s a way. plp has no interest in hearing the voices nor the votes of the educated youth of Bermuda. They’d never be elected again.
“this is a case of blaming the victims” oh ok…
If that is the case why not call it earlier to make it apparent they didn’t want students to vote.
Please . . .Bermuda has never had an absentee voting system. They didn’t just learn this when they found out there was an election being called. If they did, shame on them . . .indicative of our young people, not taking an intricate interest in the politics o ftheir country and what may affect them.
Personally, this appears to be another ploy to sway the people in a certain direction . . .n one is stupid!!!!
Shame on our students????? I cannot believe that this statement would even be made!
I would say, shame on our Governments (note the plural), for not having come up to the 21st century and allowing all of our citizens the right to vote!
Both the UBP and the PLP could have implemented this. At least the OBA has stated their case in the 2011 reply to the Throne Speech.
yeah, as you said it was stated. now all of a sudden the OBA want to take credit for a student initiative. please….
by the way the public has been waiting for the OBA to release their initiatives for ever…nice time to take credit for it…
I don’t see where the OBA is taking credit for this initiative. They congratulate the students, but that isn’t taking credit, at least not in my book.
Also, given most students are a part of the age of technology, they probably took as a matter of course that they would be able to vote. In fact, given that the PLP complained loudly when they were the Opposition about this very issue, and promised they would rectify the situation when they became the Government, all of us should be excused for thinking it was handled.
Everyone that is registered has a right to vote.
I would assume you would need to different websites to perform this…
Votes online can be messed with with………… leave the future of the island to online voting. Think about it just a bit more, just saying. You wana vote buy a ticket and go home.
You do realise that the entire point of this is that they CAN’T just ‘buy a ticket and go home’, right? They possibly have already set dates to travel, and changing a ticket date is very expensive, especially for students in a country where they are not allowed to work while studying or don’t qualify for work study programs. Or may not have the funds to travel home. Or have other commitments that prevent them from travelling. Or what about folks who now live abroad but are still invested in the future of their homeland.
While I agree that online voting is problematic and prone to fraud/tampering, absentee balloting is an option that other countries offer their citizens.
This is not a new issue. This has been a tactic in calling government elections since I was in university years ago, and it is beyond high time that this was remedied.
well that’s something you can work on between Dec. 18, 2012–until. it’s not gonna happen this time sweetie. do the math, it’s not that easy.
Thanks PLP for doing nothing!
useless.
Horrible, stinking, ____ Government. Welcome to a one party state – call the UN! If you vote PLP on 17th, take a long hard look at yourself. Call yourself Bermudian? Shame on you.
LOL thats a FUNNY comment. You realize how much debt im in at school trying to better myself so that I can be a contributing member of Bermuda’s society? Why should I have to pay 500+ dollars to come home to have a right provided to me that should be provided regardless of where I am!?
Call the governor of Bermuda, this a disgrace that these students have been denied the right to vote….. shame on you Premier.
Previous Election Dates:
Feb 9th 1989 – Where student at home? NO
Oct 5th 1993 – Where students at home? NO
Nov 9th 1998 – Where students at home? NO
**ALL 3 elections above called under a UBP government!!
July 24th 2003 – Where the students at home? yes
Dec 18th 2007 – Where the students at home? majority, yes
need i say more? the election had to be called before Feb 2013….would you rather do it during Christmas? or the new year when students will have to fly back to school??
This isn’t a ‘PLP thing’… this is an unfair/undemocratic thing. Did the UBP pull the same BS? Yes… But what have the PLP done to alleviate the problem? Absolutely nothing. And tell me just how internet voting would have taken place in 1989 and 1993…and even 1998. Saying the ‘UBP did it’ is a cop-out. FIX THE PROBLEM!!
glad you acknowledge it’s not a PLP thing…neither is it a “Premier” thing. it takes people like you to initiate change. did anyone complain in the last elections??? tell me if you can recall if the people’s voice can be heard, maybe things may have been in place by now…
btw. online voting is impossible at this point sweetheart…absentee voting is not an option as it is a legislative process….it will take longer than 5 weeks to evolve…
we understand the problem at hand….but neither side of the fence OBA or PLP considered this prior…
It was bought up prior to the last election and what happened? Nothing. Politicians talk the good talk but have once again have failed to deliver the goods. This isn’t a new problem but yet little/nothing has been done to get the ball rolling on actually implementing some kind of absentee voting system. Why? Really…what could take so long as to go 5 years without having come up with a system…any system…to allow Bermudians overseas to vote in this election? Could it be that the PLP ministers simply don’t care? That they forgot to do it? And I don’t care that the UBP didn’t implement it 30 years ago… I wish they had. IMO they’re just as incompetent as the current government in this regard.
I don’t ever recall this particular situation being pushed to this extent before. it certainly is revolutionizing…no one fought for this initiative….as you say, it was “brought up”
Are the politicians really oblivious to the fact that this is unacceptable? I never said it was pushed to this extent but the simple fact remains that it was brought up on various blogs in the lead up to the last election when, *gasp* students who were overseas realized they would miss the election due to conflicts with final exams. It’s not a new phenomenon that magically fell out of the sky. It’s just not something that the current government felt important enough to put into place in the past five years. They are either lazy or incompetent (or both). Why hasn’t this been addressed?
as i said, it hasn’t been “pushed” sometimes the people don’t get what they want unless they make a fuss about it. as in this case…there are plenty of examples of countries and nations all over the world where the people make their voice “known” thats when it inspires change…
It was not pushed in this way because the technology didn’t exist in the past in the way it does now. It is now technologically reasonable to do it. It wasn’t in the past, although the issue definitely was raised.
So why don’t they do it?
it’s a whole lot more to that story I can tell you that…
the internet has been around since before the PLP got in power
Johnny, the existence of the internet did not immediately bring with it all the technology that currently exists.
Do you people live in boxes?
Um yes it was in fact looking at the parlimentary records Kim Wilson’s responce at the time was the same as what the PLP has said above. They had concerns about security etc etc and then the discussion on it was ended the PLP burried it. Check the records.
LOL
Why didn’t the opposition push the issue. Why? they sit in the house and are quiet. They also knew it was a problem, I have never been afforded the opportunity to vote while I was away. I do agree with absentee voting it should have been brought up before, it’s a bit too late.
The opposition sit in the house and are quiet? Hilarious.
They did bring up the issue. The government ignored it and have stepped on another land mine. Nothing new.
Hmmmm, if you didn’t care if the UBP did it or not, then why do you care if the PLP do it or not?
The PLP can try to score political points by claiming that the UBP didn’t do it either or they can fix the problem and make Bermuda a more democratic place. Why must everything be a political fight? Why can’t they do what is right instead of trying to deflect the problem onto somebody else? Should the UBP have implemented some sort of absentee voting 40 years ago? Yes. But with the rapid increase in technology and the maturing of our political landscape we should have seen the implementation by now… The UBP are now defunct. Why haven’t the PLP fixed the problem?
Dagnabit!!!!! Stop trying to pass the buck!!
Yes, we the then PLP, as Opposition, DID care that the UBP didn’t do it and they promised to do something about when they became the Government. WE did nothing. It came up again on subsequent elections WHILE the PLP were the Goverment, on numerous occasions. THEY (note the change in possession – follows my change in attachment to the current administration) DID NOTHING!!! Why do people have to jump up and down and scream in order for the right things to happen.
You know you are wrong, PLP. Just say sorry, it slipped off the radar, or we were afraid they might not vote for us. Either would be closer to the truth than blaming the UBP, the Opposition, the students, the electorate, in fact, every body else except taking responsibility for something you know you should have taken care of 14 years ago.
The date isn’t the issue so much as denying someone the ability to place their vote online.
It’s not exactly the most difficult system to implement, and even if mass data entry was required – the govt has how many civil servants? Give each of them then names and you’re done.
it’s a legislative process. also has to go through trial and error.
but Bermyonion eloquently explains it:
Bermyonion says:
November 12, 2012 at 4:41 pm
You cannot vote online for one simple reason. There is no provision in law for it. The same with Bermudians overseas. The matter would have to be debated in Parliament, there would have to be an amendment to the Election Act, none of which can be done because Parliament is dissolved. Bottom line is I dont believe any of the parties would consider it because it is a) too much of a risk for them, b) they probably have no idea how they would implement and regulate it, and c) they all consider it too much of a hot potato. You cant even get these guys to update the Human Rights Act, so updating the Election Act doesnt stand a chance…….
in the four or five years since the last election i could have researched all possible solutions and implemented the system myself. the PLP government have simply shown their true colours when it comes to voters and democracy. they don’t care.
well why you didnt? sounds like you are the band wagon type.
lol. very childish….i understand the process sweetie. I’d rather not repeat what has already been said…
Ooo right. And what about people like me who cannot even afford to come back for christmas at all? Do you have any idea what a ticket from London cost now days?!!!!
There are other ways than online voting to address absentee ballots. Most 1st world countries do it.
You cannot vote online for one simple reason. There is no provision in law for it. The same with Bermudians overseas. The matter would have to be debated in Parliament, there would have to be an amendment to the Election Act, none of which can be done because Parliament is dissolved. Bottom line is I dont believe any of the parties would consider it because it is a) too much of a risk for them, b) they probably have no idea how they would implement and regulate it, and c) they all consider it too much of a hot potato. You cant even get these guys to update the Human Rights Act, so updating the Election Act doesnt stand a chance…….
thank you. some people think it’s so easy. smh…
it’s not 5+ years hard!!!
well, it certainly is 5 weeks hard.
Back pedal all you want but the PLP have dropped the ball on this one. Point blank failed.
The question should never be whether it’s easy or hard, the question should be whether it’s right or wrong. All too often politicians just do the easy thing ( normally nothing). it is said that ” a statesman thinks about the next generation, a politician only thinks about the next election”. Where have all our Statesmen gone?
What would have been easy would have been to actually call the election for a time when many or most students could have been home, rather than calling them for a date that even the most pompous should know they’d be away and in the midst of exams.
BTW, “sure”, Dec. 18, 2007 was a date when students were away for the same reason, and the vote was called that day for the same reason.
Deny it all you want, the plp does not want students to vote. You disagree, but you’re wrong.
I have been off island for 20 years.
Do I have a right to vote?
you need to reside in Bermuda for at least 6 months i believe…
you should have the right to vote, yes. those who say no are only afraid of the direction of your vote. if you are a legal bermudian citizen then you should be allowed to register and vote in the constituency of your last local address.
if you educate yourself maybe things will be a bit clearer for you…here’s some websites i suggest. parliament.bm, bermudalaws.bm….smh
Educate myself on what? What is there to see? We can’t vote due to the successive failure of both administrations to implement an absentee voting system.
that is why i listed websites for your benefit. sure you want to change the laws? good! it’s worth fighting for…just as long as you understand this is not an over night change…
So why did the PLP not fix this problem prior to calling the election? It’s not rocket science…
?
the same reason why pre-exsisting parties didn’t change it…usless pointing fingers. as stated many times, this is sparking a revolution. kudos to these ladies
You’re reaching pretty far with the ‘UBP did it too’ argument… The PLP are the current administation, correct? Therefore, when something like this hasn’t been implemented people will rightfully look to them for reasons why. It doesn’t matter why the UBP didn’t implement it as they are no longer in power and essentially out of business. The UBP got voted out for forgetting about a large portion of our population. And it looks as if the PLP are doing the same when it comes to this…
No Terry shouldn’t because he/she has been off island for more than 20 years. You must have resided in Bermuda somtime in the last 6 months to vote.
You say Terry SHOULDN’T have a right to vote simply because he has been off island for quite some time. Why should a legal Bermudian not be allowed to vote in a local election?
Why is Vanz registered to vote?
Why should any one who choses not to be in a society continue to have a right to make decisions that do not affect them? While I support the right of any one who is residing temporarily overseas to vote – for those who leave permanently I do not!
Because the right to vote is seen as a universal and fundamental human right? What if somebody who has lived overseas for 20 years decides they want to move back in 2 years? Should they not be allowed to vote in this election? Who gets to define what ‘residing temporarily overseas’ is, and for how long it means? When we bring in arbitrary numbers with respect to basic human rights we inevitably end up disenfranchising people. Let all Bermudian’s vote; they would vote if they were living on island so what’s the big deal? It’s not a simple concept to wrap your head around…
Absentee voting is a normal process in most developed countries. Surely, Bermuda will continue to make strides by adopting this method as well. The method does not have to be online. Other methods include absentee voting by mail, allowing students to vote in person BEFORE the election date, providing overseas voting centers in the areas where voters are heavily located, etc. There are so many ways to accomplish this. Government definitely needs to consider absentee voting as a means of allowing all those registered to take part in the voting process.
well said.
For Online Voting to work each registered Bermudian would need to use their Bermudian passport number as a form of identification. We register to vote online, so what is the problem? If it is safe enough to register that way, it should be safe enough to vote that way.
@B3rmud!@N it is not that simple. For many students, the week of the election (Dec 17th 2012) is the week of examinations thus they cannot simply “buy a ticket and go home”. Change is necessary and this is a form of voting change.
The same thing happened when I was away at uni during the last election. People made noise; some politicians acted like they cared; and then nothing got done in the 4+ years since then. Expect the same thing to happen again… Why we can’t get with the times is mind-boggling. The UBP did it back in the day and the PLP continue it today. Have set elections for summer and/or the week after Christmas. It’s not a hard thing to do but when you’re afraid of the voting patterns of those who’s vote you are effectively taking away you can see why we have this recurring problem. The PLP claim an increase in voting democracy since they’ve taken power but until they (or the OBA) fix this problem we’ll all have this stain looking over us. Good luck with exams!
election had to be called before Feb 2013…a summer election would have been impossible.
December 27th would alleviate the student problem, correct?
oh I’m sure both parties would love that suggestion, because they have no life i suppose. (in other words they will have to work through Christmas, along with many of those others who will play a role in preparing for election day) it takes alot of work…
so instead of ‘working’ we will just disenfranchise a large portion of our youth population. what great morals!
well, as long as you are willing to help…(right?) oh but wait a minute then people will fuss because the PLP is destroying their Christmas, or new year…you really can’t win
So the PLP would rather attempt to save their own behinds and ‘not ruin christmas’ by decreasing democracy and not allowing overseas residents to vote. I’m glad they are looking out for the themselves in all of this. Moving Bermuda forward…NOT
can you not agree that regardless of when the election was called there would have been a fuss? sound like a lot of noise to me…
Fuss, noise, whatever you want to call it it didn’t have to happen if there was absentee voting procedures in place. Simple! Comprende? Then the election could be called at any time of year and ALL Bermudians would be afforded the opportunity to vote. Isn’t that what we all deserve?
How about summer 2012? It wasn’t impossible.
well, that time has come and gone. bye bye…
@Danielle not party line and using the OBA slogan? Change?When you left Bermuda you knew an election was to be called, why didn’t you start your petition then? fishy fishy fishy
why didn’t the PLP fix the problem in the past 4 years?
The same reason the UBP didn’t fix the problem when they were in power for 3 consecutive elections.
The technology did not exist when the UBP were in power. Arguably, it didn’t even exist in a viable way 5 years ago. But it does exist, and is very viable, now.
So why don’t they do it (instead of whining about the past)?
still could have done and absentee initiative…it’s not just an online initiative that could have taken place. as the US has, the mail votes…technology isnt the only means of an absentee vote.
Could but didn’t in 14 years. And still blaming the UBP by the sound of it.
because if no one brings up a problem then no one thinks there is a problem, so no one acts to fix the problem.
Again the problem was brought up ..see above the PLP dropped the ball and the OBA did too as they should have been pressing this issue since they brought it up in 2011………
LOL short memories indeed……………
These people are running our country; surely they are smart enough to recognize the problem prior to having random constituents bring it up? And just to be clear: THE UBP BROUGHT THIS UP AND IT WAS VOTED AGAINST BY THE PLP. Like it or not the PLP could care less about what we young educated folk think/want to vote for.
I wasn’t using a party slogan. My political beliefs are separate from this initiative. All Bermudian’s are entitled to a vote to which ever political party they choose. The point of this initiative is not to gather votes for either political party it is simply to enable those who are not on island for reasons beyond their control to exercise their right to vote – with primary focus on students. It just happens that Dec 17th 2012 is smack in the middle of exam week for most Universities and therefore, a large number of students will be unable to vote. The electorate has no control over when an election is called, the date of the election could still be postponed to enable students this right. I must also point out that I am in Bermuda and am able to vote. I have taken on this initiative to assist those who are studying for exams and are therefore unable to pursue this issue.
The issue of students and others being overseas during an election is not new. It is an issue that existed during the reign of both political parties. Several ideas have been floated to deal with it but none were actually followed through on. I agree that some mechanism should be devised and put in place, but to all of a sudden spontaneously saddle the PLP with some sort of badge of shame for not having it in place for THIS ELECTION is a bit suspicious. And for the OBA to rely on a generic statement in 2011 which was not followed up by ANY persistence after that but to jump on the bandwagon now is equally suspicious. Someone is trying to turn this issue into a political football. #justmyopinion
Do not be discouraged by people making negative comments Danielle and Kelsey. Congratulations to you both. Your initiative has made a lot of people proud of you!
I could not agree more. This should make people proud. It is only right to fight for the rights of people to vote. A labour government should be the first to see that.
While I support you initiative you have no idea when people are taking exams! Just as you are finished so are many others! How about you trying to get an actual count of how many students are missing out. That would be helpful to everyone.
No. The simple fact remains that there are SOME students who will miss the chance to vote because of exams. This is unacceptable and needs to be fixed. Hell, it should have been fixed long ago!
I appreciate where you are coming from and I do believe that some sort of system should be in place for those who are unable to vote on Election day for whatever reason. However I have some questions on online voting that I feel are very important. How can we be assured that person who is voting online is in fact that person? What can stop me from letting someone else put in my vote? And if I did let someone else vote, how can I be assured that they will put in the vote that I want?
We cannot just buy a ticket and come home! It is exams for most students aboard (like me), the end of the fall semester! Unless your willing to call up my University and explain to them that I need my exams moved because I want to come home and vote! These elections are all about our future! We are out here studying, working our butts off , trying to keep scholarships, making our families proud , and these elections for some of us determine whether we come back home to work or just fine a job aboard!
The UBP bought tickets for anyone who they thought would vote for them. Uusally white students and voters. The now OBA may extend same courtesy to all as they are claiming to be inclusive. It was ironic that several white students voted PLP. My suggestion is to check, if its close constituency they may just some of the millions being thrown around to buy you guys tickets. Worth a try.
Clearly you don’t understand the fact it isn’t about buying a ticket and all about exams. Would you piss 30g against a wall?
@Vote for Sale… I believe both parties PLP and UBP have flown people home for the election (not just students)in the past. One step up from sending Taxi’s around to collect people you know will vote for you…
Not many taxis will help the plp this time… after what Brown did to them: introduced minibuses, airport taxis & GPS.
And, who would trust this government not to tamper with an online ballot?
Maybe not online voting, but certainly more controlled voting such as at an embassy.
If the US can manage to make it possible for the HUNDREDS of thousands of Americans living, working or serving in the military overseas, surely Bermuda can implement some sort of absentee voting program. However, I’m inclined to believe that all political parties are somewhat hesitant to do what needs to be done. Maybe there’s a reason why the so called “youth-vote” is not encouraged?? Why was an election called for a date when so many students would not have returned home yet?? Why not December 27 when folks are at home anyway???
Long and short. They dont want you voting. So why would they allow you to?
incorrect judgement.
who do you honestly think students would vote for? most can only remember a PLP-led government. most are sick and tired of the outdated racial mentality of the old-breed of politicians. most have seen the inept job the PLP have done at saving for a rainy day. most see the decline in bermuda’s economy and the lack of any real plans to fix said decline. most would vote OBA and the PLP know this. if they thought they were guaranteed an extra 1000+ votes you know they would be all over allowing them to vote. they are scared of what we believe in as our future has no PLP in it…
well, im a young supporter…and believe me im very well informed…saying that most students support the opposition your perspective. not a fact…and no, im not voting because its the black party, or because my family supports the PLP. but it’s through my own analysis, my research…which is a problem i think alot of of young supporters have. they are bandwagon voters. whether PLP or OBA. simply haven’t dug deep enough to discover the facts vs opinions.
pray tell wise one how the PLP and OBA differ. what good the PLP have done in the past 14 years…or 5 years for that matter (what they have done, not what they have benefited from [i.e. IB growth in the early years of their tenure]). and what research you have done as the PLP are very selective in the release of material prior to elections… did they even have a platform in the last election?
LOL!!!!!!!!! wow, are you serious right now? do you know what a platform is?? hehe…don’t tell on yourself anymore…they more you “type” the more it shows how uninformed YOU are. plp.bm…i don’t have time for this…by the way visit oba.bm and see for yourself many of the “initiatives” the “list” are already in place by our existing gov. and some initiated make no sense at all.
(one out of MANY ?????)
ie. Education
Longer school hours for our kids.
meaning 1. longer hours for teachers….
2. More money to pay for longer hours (oh, this will be a Government who will decrease the debt.)
3. This will create a havoc for kids who are involved in community activities after school
4. i guess this also means they will have less homework?
5. Teachers do alot of work outside of the classroom…this extends into their personal time which a alread sacrifice a big portion already.
I can go on…need me to?
So you’re a) completely fine with the end-product the public school system is putting out; b) not willing to invest in the future of Bermuda because it will cost ‘more’ money (spending $1.4b more than we have is only good when…wait, are you saying it’s not good?), and c) interupt the 3 months teachers have off each year?
If I’m not mistaken the OBA plan is not to increase the time spent in classrooms until 5pm or so… But rather keep the students at school longer to partake in activites outside of the classroom (sports, music, etc, etc).
And it’s true that the PLP have historically not released a PLATFORM prior to elections. They know people have historically blindly voted for them so they had no reason to do so… FACT
im not satisfied, however this is hogwash. you’re trying to sell an idea to the people that their initiatives will cost less when thats untrue.and some don’t make any sense. you cannot bullet ideas and expect them to be understood. tell you’re friends the public needs details. because your interpretation is far different from my own. and just how will it not cost more??
site your source dear…if it’s historic? i await a response. good to be enlightened…
Don’t worry your busy little mind with what the OBA have planned for the recovery of the Island. Instead, please tell us what are the plp’s plans, ideas, and solutions. Exactly how are the plp gonna deal with the economy when they have to borrow to make payroll now? Please DO TELL.
“don’t worry our busy little minds with what the OBA has planned” uh ok…and people are supposed to confidently vote for the OBA?? why not worry about them. DO TELL. David Burt discussed the economic plan. plp.bm
Sure.. this is the very problem with your thinking. Why do you think these things cannot be afforded by the Government?
1st off if you did your homework you will have noticed the complete waste of resources and moneny with in the Government.
Resources and money that can be better spent on initiatives like those stated by the OBA.
Just because it was approved in the budget does not mean that it is spent in the best way.
Further Public private partnering (not saying that the OBA is suggesting this, just using it as an example) can free up millions of dollars- The incinerator and waste management comes to mind. Go look at how much we spend in capital alone every year on that.
Its a little something called thinking outside of the box… something this government is not good at.
From the OBA website: “Extend the school day to allow more time for the arts, music, sports and additional academic assistance for the students who need it”.
I thought you had researched both parties/were well educated/etc. Guess not as that took me all of 30 seconds to find… Whoops! And where have the OBA claimed to want to lower that portion of the education budget? I must have missed it…
EXTEND school days. exactly what I said miss. and YOU tried to negate that…glad you cleared that one up…so what does that mean to you??? if you consider this, what does this initiate indicate??
Actually, the way I heard it explained, @ sure, was that academics would be taught in the mornings and afternoons would be utilized for phys.ed., art and/or music, job training, civic activities and the like, which would actually free up the academic teachers even more, rather than give them longer hours. I don’t know all the ins and outs, but there are people who do. Sounded like an excellent plan to me. It keeps the kids off the street in the afternoons, has them doing some constructive, takes the onus off the parents for finding after school care, and other benefits.
Care to share? I’ve been trying with no success.
For real though, legit question…*crickets*
The shame is that it is an issue in the first place. The PLP prides itself on “One man – One vote” yet here they have made it “College Student – No Vote” They could have had the election between Christmas and New Years to at least give some students who were planning to come home for Christmas the right to vote. They purposely did not do that. That’s not right.
So then what about the numerous people who go abroad for christmas? I think then more people would miss the election.
Under the current system where a week grace early voting period is given that would make voting before Christmas a possibility as well. This simply covers more bases if you really have to have an election in Christmas. Any date is going to miss someone. I’m trying to think of best scenario.
Students are disenfranchised. Pure and simple.
Why?
Online voting . Pro-active thinking . This is exactly the reason why the youth need to be educated and to be able to facilitate change . Many of you possess the technological skill set to make it happen … Sooo make it happen . This could be a positive bipartisan initiative to be tackled at once .
It is very unfortunate that these Bermudians may not be able to take part in what should be their born right , but it doesn’t help when the election is called on such short notice, maybe considertion should be given to a stipulated minimum time limit for the the date to be set.
Gumbyment don’t care about all you students having to take exams! Who gives a hoot about the youth! Not them.
Interesting that some comments concentrate on security for absentee ballots. There is no security to check on the validity of a person voting in person in the normal way. That person can be challenged, but there is no penalty, nor consequence for a false vote. Check the law.
The entire voting registration and absentee ballot provisons need to be brought up from the 19th century to the 21st. It is almost guaranteed that on December 17 2012 there will be a significant number of voters voting who do not live in the Constituency in which they are voting. Enough to swing marginals. It is a historical problem that has not been fixed.
Can we add a no cell phone or cameras in voting booths policy too? Just something I heard.
There’s a news story there. I’ve heard this as well. Could be a big issue.
You have to show identification before you can place a vote. Have you ever voted before?
Most Govt schools come out on the 19th of December.
Should we assume that term will be shortened for the election.
We lost 2 storm days already.
Kids can’t learn if they are not in school!!!!!
F.Y.I. schools are closed for Dec. 17th!
No vote for you!
Most students should be back by the 22. It would be easier to just put it back a few days. Therefore no need to worry about schools as they get out on the 19th. As this would make sense it would not happen as by then Santa would be more important. The students would only be able to vote if they knew for sure they would get their vote.
Or, just maybe, they don’t want people to see what this christmas is going to be like before they vote…
Danielle and Kelsey. Thanks
“Your Right Your vote Your Future.”…not for these kids. Talk about slapping the youth in the face. Apparently youth who are away studying dont matter. It’s just plain sad.
Here are some facts that I got from election 2012
Previous Election Dates:
*Feb 9th 1989 – Where students at home? No
*Oct 5th 1993 – Where students at home? No
*Nov 9th 1998 – Where students at home? No
**July 24th 2003 – Where students at home? Yes
**Dec 18th 2007 – Where students at home? Yes,a majority was.
*Called under a UBP government
**Called under a PLP government
So please be mindful of the fact that this is not the first time a election has been called and students were away for it.
But technology has changed. These days a well-controlled vote by internet is technologically achievable. So why not do it?
The internet was up and running for most of the elections listed
But technology like it is now did not exist. 14 years ago there were no ipads, smartphones, etc. Online voting would have still left people disenfranchised then, but it wouldn’t now.
But you knew that. Why not give up making excuses and admit it’s a problem.
Dec 18th 2007. Most were home. A lie. By my count, that’s what, 23 years to fix the issue, no matter what governing party?
@ Ian Moone. When did the Internet become fully functional?
Most were home for the last election…. mhhhhhhhhhmmmm. How do I know.I’m a student my plane was packed as well as many others. Why you ask? Because majority were flying home to vote. Looks like you need to come correct!!!!!!!!!!!!
Exam periods?
*Feb 9th 1989 – No
*Oct 5th 1993 – No
*Nov 9th 1998 – No
**July 24th 2003 – No
**Dec 18th 2007 – Yes
If you listen to what the students are complaining about, it is not that the election was called for when they were away… it is that the election is called during their exam period which makes it virtually impossible to vote in person.
exams periods aren’t during those periods 89,93,98 , but who will be here to vote? and WHO has the money to fly their kids back to vote?? oh that’s an intelligent analysis…
I hope that you realise that Xmas is the the ONLY time of year exams are held!
you sure about that?
I went to university. and you just missed the point. 89,93,98 were dates that students were away. and couldn’t afford to fly home. still an injustice.
Your point? It doesn’t take away from the fact that the PLP have FAILED TO FIX THE PROBLEM… Why haven’t they??
Cookie?
I’d like to see a poll with the vote ahead of time ,organized to reflect how many votes for each of the parties and post it within the next few days.
that might give other informed voters an inkling as to how the trend of voting amongst the students is favoring the ideals of the party they vote for.
Something of a Vote by electronic means ….trial run . there are spam filters of all sorts that could eliminate bot votes.
I say change the date to December 19th, 2012. All in agreement say ‘YEA!”
At the of the day we all should stay the hell home Dec 17 and not vote.
If you truly believe that, then you have no right to complain if the election goes against what your beliefs are.
Let’s fix the whole thing…finger print I.D. voting… Problem solved, one person, one vote.
this is just unreal. “”Any time an election is called, there will be people unable to participate in the process.” what kind of bs is this. we have the means to technology that EVERYONE can vote. PLP know that the majority of students will not have their vote, strategic thinking. i still cant get over their comment. PLP i WILL be home from school and you DO NOT have my VOTE.
Walton Brown (PLP Candidate) wants residents of Westgate to have the vote, but not students overseas. That is a clear message.
The PLP have been unashamedly soft on crime for 14 years. Why would this surprise anyone?
Ringmaster why are you lying. Where did Mr. Brown say he thinks students should not be able to vote?
He’s written extensive articles to advocate making sure murderers, rapists, pedophiles, and armed robbers get to vote.
Could you please link us to any articles he has published advocating making sure students can vote?
Something else for the next Government to put on the ‘to do’ list. Can’t do anything about this election but future elections should be fixed date, when universities & colleges are not in, absentee voting made available & online voting made available.
Too many students have been denied the vote this time unless they attend Howard University which gets out in plenty time to return to Bermuda.
How many is too many?
One person not being afforded the right to vote simply for being off-island at the time of the election is too many. Don’t you agree?
PLP do anything they can to win because they are that desperate, they are sad and they take away from the song “proud to be bermudian”
So based on quite a few posts on here, because I am sitting an exam on the 17th of December, I simply do not care enough because if I did I would fly home and vote. I really wish people would think before they opened up their mouths!
Sad the response given by the PLP does not answer the questions students have proposed in the slightest bit.
Hello Everyone,
The link below explains the possibilities of online voting and why some US States have allowed it and how they have secured the online voting process.
http://safevote.com/internetvoting.htm
“Buy a ticket home” is not always an option and “Some are always isolated out of the voting process”, or “It’s been done before” so it should be acceptable to continue past trends are mind boggling in this day and age. As Bermudian citizens it is indeed a violation of our basic human rights not to be able to vote or not to have our archaic laws repealed and revised to reflect today’s technological advances to support our right to vote.
This should be a process we all champion.Our role in society is to tell Government our vision and they are public servants that are elected to carry out Bermuda’s vision for the future. The parties can not and should not dictate to us how they will govern over us without question. We have more power than we may realize.Know and understand your rights. Power to the people.
Previous Election Dates:
Feb 9th 1989 – Where student at home? NO
Oct 5th 1993 – Where students at home? NO
Nov 9th 1998 – Where students at home? NO
**ALL 3 elections above called under a UBP government!!
July 24th 2003 – Where the students at home? yes
Dec 18th 2007 – Where the students at home? majority, yes
Two elections where the PLP gave ways to dates that allowed students being at home to vote.
This has been posted a couple of times now and they’re still complaining. When they do it it’s not a problem, when we do it they make a big fuss.
You’re a university grad and you cut and paste other people’s posts. You wasted your money on that degree.
Dear PLP (any and all party members),
May you please provide the schools in which you researched and determined will be back in Bermuda on December 17th? You said that you determined most schools would be out however I have only heard of school in Europe, which is a small fraction of overseas students, however you already know that….
Kind Regard
It doesn’t even matter what schools they ‘researched’ in coming to their conclusion. The only question we should be asking is WHY hasn’t anything been done in recent years to fix the ‘absentee voting’ problem. It’s been 4+ years since the last election – THERE IS NO REASON WHY NOTHING HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED SINCE THEN! We can also ask what they PLAN TO DO (should they retain power) before the next election. PLP talk the talk but their actions speak louder than words. They could care less about the absentee vote.
you did not make your voice heard. btw, it was not soley the responsibility of the PLP to bring about this initiative…the OBA could have also suggested it to parliament…
Why would the OBA bring it to parliment, so it could be ignored, then a year later be brought up as a PLP idea???
well, opposition or not, they are your leaders too correct? and if you wanna go there. visit your oba website and see how many initiatives they have listed that already exist…waste of space if you ask me. and the fresh initiatives don’t make much sense and will require more money…go figure..
Like the UBP did? If you read above it clearly states that “An attempt by us [UBP] to put a motion on absentee balloting was defeated some time ago.” So let’s not act like the PLP are totally innocent in this mess. Not only were they not bright enough to identify this problem (thus fixing it and getting brownie points) they actually decided to vote against any amendments to the law as it currently stands. They voted against an increase in voter democracy. Why?
please direct us to this piece of information where they “voted” against absentee voters. (it has to be documented somewhere)
When the UBP say their motion was “defeated” – and without knowing the exact inner workings of politics – I assumed there was some sort of vote that defeated this motion. Ask Kim or Charlie for more information as they provided the quote I used in their statement to this issue…
so an “assumption” is factual information? No, i asked you…being you hold this claim so strongly YOU should be able to articulate and provide information..
Firstly, I never claimed what I said to be factual; that was an assumption on your part. I used what I thought was a pretty harmless assumption to make the point I was trying to get across… Secondly, who are YOU to be demanding such information from me? When all else fails people often attack the messenger…which is exactly what you are doing. It’s just too bad for you that the message in this case is clear for all to see… The PLP government (that has been in power for the majority of the lives of those away in university) have failed to implement any sort of absentee voting procedures. Their record speaks for itself. Why are you trying to deflect away from it? The UBP attempted to put through a motion to allow for absentee voting and it was defeated. Admit the PLP have failed and move on. Those without blinders on can see it… I wonder why you can’t?
well, anything one says should be back up with a source. an empty assumption is rather harmless to the uninformed reader. hence why a source was “demanded” as you say…smh. so i guess we can agree it’s an empty assumptin.
To quote yourself: “im sorry i didn’t realize I was writing a dissertation. excuse my error.” A spade is always a spade, even if I can’t describe to you what a spade actually is…
All one has to do is look at the academic calendar of Spelman College, Howard University & Morehouse College and you will see that that will be finished their exams early in December… While a lot of Canadian & English schools have exams up to and including the third week of December.
students since you are the future, form your own party, which of course will be an unbiased, bi partisan bi racial rainbow alliance and solve Bermudas problems
you all still hiding behind online pseudo names because you know the ramifications ofmhaving an opinion in this backwater racist bemuda, many ofbyounthe beneficiaries of land grab and still whining that you want justice and the right to vote online, peition your MPsmat home instead of blogging
Then don’t reply to them online, either.
You cant vote because the PLP reckon if your away in school you might be getting smart, if your smart you know whats going on, if you know whats going on you certainly wouldnt be voting PLP
PNP’s Norman Saunders won a seat in South Caicos after 8 years in prison in Miami after accepting cash for allowing drug-laden planes traveling from Columbia to refuel in the Turks and Caicos.
Now there’s an educated electorate with a bright future!
Is that the type of electorate we are striving for under Ewart Brown/Paula Cox?
Not that I’m Bermudian, and it’s been a while… but I don’t even remember being done before the 20th – one year I was done on the 22nd and a housemate had an exam on the 23rd! (conflict make-up day)
Every day that election day would be pushed back would result in a significant increase in potential voters… hmm, what to do what to do… I know, let’s make it early enough that some will be done, but nowhere near all, that way we can have a photo op with a few students on voting day without worrying about getting voted out!
I really hope the new gov is paying attention – this seems like a pretty serious case of calculated disenfranchisement! I understand that they can’t guarantee that everyone will be available blah blah (paraphrasing PLP statement) but why not hold things the 20th or 21st? I bet you’d triple-octuple the available student vote and for anyone traveling over Christmas, they could use the early voting provision for those who are actually on island
This is all about making sure that the people who are this island’s future are not heard, purely because they’re likely to vote the “wrong” way.
Please don’t explain to me how “the UBP did it”. If they did, they were wrong… A lot of PLP supporters seem to be self-styled “super Christians” so should be familiar with the concepts of forgiveness/revenge etc. Even if you’re twisted enough to believe that if the UBP did it then the PLP should too, you should also ask yourself this: do you support taking a bunch of kids who weren’t even in kindergarten yet when the UBP was last in power, and punishing them for “their” grandfathers’ sins (because everyone who is non-PLP is of course one monolithic block)
and obviously everyone who is for the PLP is a blind uninformed voter….sure.
Where did I say anything about the informed/uninformed PLP voters or their level of visual acuity?
Why make that assumption? Simply because I disagree with you therefore you associate all of this other baggage with me as well?
maybe you should explain this a little more
A lot of PLP supporters seem to be self-styled “super Christians” so should be familiar with the concepts of forgiveness/revenge etc
Sure… a lot, as in more than a few but less than most. Though even if was only a few, those people should be the ones preaching the tolerance and forgiveness to the rest of the population rather than (in my experience) being some of the most vocal supporters of intolerance and borerline hate. See the tea party for a prime example elsewhere in the world
Note words like “some” – I am in no way speaking in absolutes, which in my experience a lot of Bermudians of different creeds and political affiliations like to do, to the detriment of the island.
That’s the first true statement you’ve made.
sure. guess sarcasm is for the birds
So I am going abroad for Christmas with my family, I leave on the 18th of December. If you want the eclection pushed back, What about me?
If it was pushed back a few days (to the 22nd or 23rd) you could vote during the early voting period.
Precisely, an election on the 20th (for instance) would mean you could vote on the 13th – now sure someone could have left for their Christmas holiday by then but if they miss the 13th then they’d miss the 17th as well
Why does an expat know more about Bermuda’s voting system than a large numbers of Bermudians I’ve run across?
As wrong as it is, for the time being, this is really a dead issue. Nothing can be done about the date this time around. Parliament is disolved. That is not to say forget it. Get onto the next Government for fixed date elections at a time when students are not in class or exams.
There are very important issues to be dealt with starting with the $1.5b debt & the $200,000 per day that costs to service. How many college loans would that debt servicing money finance?
Right now the PLP has you distracted from the huge failure that they have been on so many fronts.
I THINK THIS TIME ITS MORE CRUCIAL FOR STUDENTS TO GET THIER VOTE HEARD BECAUSE WE YOUNG MINDS REALIZE PLP ARE A BUNCH OF FLAKES! OBA ALL THE WAY!
The PLP don’t want overseas students to vote. Why? because educated people will make the educated decision not to vote PLP. That simple!
Most developed countries in the world have overseas voting systems. Why can we not have one!?
THE PLP KNOW THAT THE YOUNG AND EDUCATED WILL NOT VOTE FOR THEM SO THEY DENY THEM THE RIGHT.
FAIR??
im young. im educated.and im well informed. and if I toot my own horn I’d say im very intelligent. and I will vote for the PLP. that’s one less to your figurative speaking.
Use capital letters at the start of sentences. Then start tooting your own horn about your education!
One thing that seems to be a common with many of the PLP party members; they think that they are much smarter than they really are, jaded by their own egos. The problem is that these types of people get into positions of power and make uneducated decisions that are detrimental to our entire nation.
At the same time if the Government saw there was an advantage to having overseas voters, it would have been done and dusted a long time ago. They know that schools in Canada and the U.K. have exam schedules during the week of the election, so they made sure to schedule it on that week. No chance of these students flying home just to vote. I can assure you that the majority of overseas students who are taking 3-4+ year degrees and master’s programs are affected by this.
im sorry i didn’t realize I was writing a dissertation. excuse my error.
and there’s quite a few OBA supporters who seem to give baseless information and mock the PLP supporters.
to add to such humor, i think its funny alot of OBA supporters also discredit the PLP as having done absolutely nothing. sad when one can not even admit that the PLP has done great things for our country..
Murders: UP. Tourists: DOWN. Gun crimes: UP. Employment: DOWN. Politicians salary: UP. GDP: DOWN. Size of the civil service: UP. Debt: UP. But boy, those PLPers have been great! We have loaner vehicles and fast ferries! Plus, Beyonce was here!!
Scratch fast ferries. They reduced the operating speed of those two years ago to save fuel. And besides, they are rusting away through lack if funds to maintain them.
There are many young educated people who will vote for the PLP and who will touchdown in time to do so. Not only are we being educated further, but our families have educated us on all the foolishness the other party had done in their time in office. At the end of the day we will all vote for who we want, and all of these posts just reflect our opinions. Why we all seem to have a problem with each others opinions I don’t know,it only reflects ones views, that’s why they’re called opinions.At the end of the day I’ll be home to place my vote and many other Bermudians will do the same. With all that being said stop complaining and exercise your right to vote. Change won’t come by your posts. An election has been called, and the date won’t be changed.
See you at the polls
” but our families have educated us on all the foolishness the other party had done in their time in office.”
Nothing like keeping that old and poorly founded HATE alive eh ?
If you’re under 25 years old, at this stage in your life the only party you’d have any historical relation to is the current failure of the PLP party. What the non existant UBP did or didn’t do is irrelevant to you.
Try thinking for yourself. I bet they tell you stories about how evil the white man is too and how he wants you to fail !
Stories like yours give me little faith in the political literacy of the ‘youth vote’ , unlike the creedence given by so many others.
and hopefully your families mentioned that there were jobs for everyone and the country was relatively debt free with a bright future…compared to today the days of the former party were the Good Old Days……
“… our families have educated us on all the foolishness the other party had done in their time in office.”
The “other party” you are referring to has finally become defunct. The Swan boys will be running as Independents.
The OBO is a new Party, that has never been “in office,” with a few experienced ex-UBP members as experienced candidates – about the same number of ex-UBP members as the plp have. So stop yer noise!
No one is buying the idea that the OBA is the UBP in disguise. The One Bermuda Alliance has scores of new, young, educated members & candidates of ALL colours, ages and persuasions, who have nothing to do with the UBP. Check out their website: oba.bm.
The divisive plp party cannot say that… it’s the same ol’ same ol’ race card for them. And it is SO OLD!
The plp: No plans. No ideas. No solutions. No future.
You’re wasting precious finger strength, no one wants to hear the truth anymore. The truth hurts but clearly not enough to change peoples views. The old timers used to say “nuffin like licks”, well apparently Bermudians do.
If people can register online there is no reason why they can’t vote online. Residents should even be able to vote online if they don’t want to go to the polling station. Bermuda needs to get with the times. I applaud these young ladies for standing up for what they believe in.
We have heard from the PLP faithful what the UBP did. We have heard them ask “Why wait so late.” We have heard them tell us that it is too risky to allow online voting. We have heard a litany of arguments from the PLP faithful. What we have not heard is how a party that spent so much political capital in seeking the franchise for everyone, feels now about the RIGHT of all of its citizens to vote. I am proud of the people involved in this initiative. I am sorry that they are learning the lesson that once you stand up for something here, you will be villified for doing so. I am appalled that anyone would question the motives of people who will stand up for the free exercise of their rights. No matter what color you are or what party you are, you should stand up behind these people and make a fist and shout “Vote”. Otherwise, it may be your right that is in jeopardy next time.
Quit ya belly-aching about the PLP this and that you folks. I am here to deliver a special message. The message is: They’ve WON! CONGRATULATIONS PLP ON ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL WIN. Now we can have some peace and quiet.
2003 election was in the summer College students were home, 2007 college students could have been home, this year yet again college students could be home. It’s a leap year don’t blame Gov for the fact that your school is in school so late. I knew we were going to have a Christmas Election over a year ago if it didn’t happen in the summertime. If you knew that the election was coming and you were going away to school you should have petitioned while you were in high school…Did you go to high in Bermuda?
I will not be able to vote in this election because I will be on vacation with family as I Graduate in December, but if I was going to be home I would have voted in this election because my school tries to ensure we have a week off before Christmas.
“you should have petitioned while you were in high school” – You do realize that the voting age in Bermuda is 18, right?…an age where most students are out of high school. I would hazard a guess that whilst many high-school students hear a bit about local politics they don’t follow it to the degree that many who post on local blogs do… And I think it’s safe to assume that even less know/care about the administrative side to actually voting in an election that comes around once every 4/5 years. Why, therefore, do you find it reasonable to tell these girls that they should have “petitioned while you were in high school”? Why didn’t you petition?
Can anybody tell me why people constantly attack the messengers (or when the message was delivered) and not take to heart the actual messaeg itself? Who cares that absentee voting can’t take place for this election? It’s something that all right-thinking individuals know should be in place so why not let the debate happen as to how best to go about implementing a system? We always get side-tracked and lose sight of the end goal… VOTER DEMOCRACY FOR ALL
To these students, I just hope you will get what you desire about this online voting thing. Speaking up and standing on what you believe is right is your right. So don’t lose hope.
Students choose education first. Elections are every four years and not on their agenda of tasks from applying to colleges, applying for loans, scholarships, to preparing for a one to four or more years overseas: CAN, US, UK, etc Are you really interested in voting for or against the present Govt? Independents, OBA, PLP the vote is yours or not!