The inevitability of the next general election is becoming ever more evident.
Not only has there been a significant increase in voter registration since the Progressive Liberal Party's convention late last month, according to Parliamentary Commissioner Sherlyn Hall, but now that the Constituencies Commission's report has been approved and gazetted, voters' cards are being issued.
Hall said as voter registration continues ahead of the election, the report, which outlines constituency boundaries, makes the work of the Parliamentary Registration Department much easier as officials can now start registering people according to the new constituency maps.
"The Constituencies Commission report was passed in Parliament, as you know, on Wednesday night, which I have a copy in my hand," Hall said in an interview.
"And it is gazetted, I am told, in the newspaper as well.
"So that means, legally, we can commence registering people based on the new 2017 maps.
"We have all those ready and that's what we're doing now, in fact, as we speak."
Hall said people coming to register as of Friday would receive their voter's card immediately.
"Once they provide the right documentation, we can present to them their cards," Hall said.
He also said people who registered on or before February 15 would be able to pick up their voter's cards sometime next week.
"[That's] because we're doing a transition as we speak from the electronic 2012 register to the electronic new 2017 register," he said.
He said there will be a public announcement sometime next week as to when and where people who have not yet picked up their voters' cards can get them.

Uptick

Hall also noted there has been an uptick in voter registration since the Progressive Liberal Party's convention, which was held January 24-27.
He said the number of people the department is registering since the convention at the end of January has doubled.
"Well, let's put it this way, before the convention, we used to take in round about 350 (per day) thereabouts," he said.
"After that, we're taking in 700 to 800 per day.
"You can make your own judgment on that."
Hall said as of Friday, there were just over 111,000 voters registered. There were around 90,000 people registered at the end of January.
The department believes there are around 180,000 eligible voters.
By October 2016, six months before the last general election, there were at least 134,000 people registered.
The government has beefed up efforts to register citizens in light of the lower numbers.
Voter registration will continue until a writ of elections for the next general election is issued.
It is unclear when the next general election will be called, but the House of Assembly must be dissolved, by law, before the end of May.

Challenge still looms

There is currently a challenge on the constitutionality of the boundaries report before the Supreme Court.
Fort Charlotte MP Dr. Andre Rollins and Montagu MP Richard Lightbourn filed the challenge, claiming that the report is invalid because it was not produced within the five-year limit outlined in Article 70(1) of the constitution.
They have asked for a judicial review of the matter.
Justice Ian Winder is expected to give his ruling on Tuesday.
Hall did not comment on the court matter.

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian