"Nothing is more unreliable than the populace, nothing more obscure than human intentions, nothing more deceptive than the whole electoral system."
- Marcus Tullius Cicero

As we observed last week, every five years Bahamians go to the polls in impressive numbers to determine which political party should govern the country for the ensuing five years.
We specifically addressed how candidates for Parliament are selected by the major political parties. We suggested that one reform that is needed is greater participation of constituents in selecting their candidates if the latter are going to be accepted by and gain the cooperation of the former.
We also examined the criteria that should be considered in selecting candidates, another area for reform.
This week, we would like to continue our discussion of electoral reform and to Consider this... In what other areas are electoral reforms needed?
We will examine what reforms are needed in determining constituency boundaries prior to an election, how we can improve the voter registration process and how we can create a more efficient electoral system, especially on election day.

Drawing constituency boundaries
In virtually every election cycle, the incumbent political party has a perceived advantage because of the composition of the Boundaries Commission, which is mandated to determine the constituency boundaries. The commission is comprised of the speaker of the House of Assembly, a Supreme Court justice, two members of Parliament chosen from the governing party and one from the opposition. Because of the composition of the commission, there is a perception that the governing party has an advantage because three of the five members come from that party.
There is also a perception that the Supreme Court justice will bring a level of objectivity and impartiality to the determination of the boundaries that will be drawn. Of course, there is also a view that the sole opposition member on the commission will be overwhelmed, outvoted and out-maneuvered by his parliamentary colleagues opposite.
A further anomaly regarding the determination of constituency boundaries is that the prime minister has the final say over the recommendations of the commission.
The result of this arrangement is that the opposition always feels that it is disadvantaged by the will of the governing party. What then is the solution? It is quite simple, in theory, if not in reality. The negative perceptions regarding the current system of determining constituency boundaries could only be overcome if the commission were truly independent of the political directorate, and devoid of any participation of any of the sitting members of Parliament. In the absence of such an independent commission, the opposition will always feel disadvantaged by the majority and will always make the case that the governing party has gerrymandered the recommendations of the commission.
We observed that this solution is quite simple, except that it can only be accomplished by a change in the existing constitutional arrangements, which will require a referendum, and we all know what the outcomes of such plebiscites have been in the past two decades.
Nevertheless, it is incumbent on all political parties to come together and unite on this one idea that, unless and until there is unanimity between the political parties, there will always be a sense that the system of setting constituency boundaries favors one party over the other.

Voter registration
For decades, we have operated under an archaic, albeit effective, voter registration process. Depending upon who is in charge of voter registration, the registration protocols can greatly vary, from what documents are required to register to what is considered to be the appropriate dress code when registering to vote. Notwithstanding certain tangential anomalies, generally, voters in The Bahamas who are eligible to vote are afforded that right.
Because of the ambiguity of clearly defined, universally accepted registration protocols, it might appear to the casual observer and to some persons seeking to register that (a) the voter registration process could be a frustrating exercise, or (b) claims of voter suppression could be leveled against the parliamentary commissioner's office and by extension the government. Neither perception is constructive for a thriving democracy. Not only must the electoral system be fair, it must be viewed or seen to be fair to all, without preference to anyone.
A more fundamental question that needs to be addressed is whether the present system of requiring voters to re-register every five years is the most effective, efficient and judicious approach.
Perhaps the time has come for us to examine how voter registration is executed in other democratic countries. An assessment of different jurisdictions demonstrates that the process varies.
In the United States, for example, some voters can take advantage of same-day registration when they arrive at the polls. The Bahamas has a long way to go before this practice can be feasibly adapted.
In Australia, voter registration, called "enrolment", is mandatory by law for all citizens, and failure to register to vote, as well as to actually vote, can result in being fined. Similarly, if a change of address causes an individual to move to another constituency, they are legally obliged to notify the Electoral Commission within eight weeks of such a change.
In Canada, voters indicate their consent to be added to the national voters' register on their annual income tax returns. The register is updated from numerous other sources, including provincial and territorial motor vehicle registrars, Canada Revenue Agency and other Canadian government agencies. Same-day registration is also permitted in Canada.
Denmark, Germany and Finland all use national identification numbers, and all citizens are accordingly added to the voter registers using such numbers. In each country, voters are legally required to notify the authorities of changes in addresses. Voters receive a voter's card in the mail before each election which reflects the date, time and local polling place.
The point is that we should assess how voter registration is conducted in the advanced democracies and determine whether we should indigenize some of the strengths of those systems for our purposes, in order to improve and streamline our voter registration process.

Avoiding election-day fiascos
After all the campaigning is completed, after all the rallies have run their course, after all the door to door canvassing has been exhausted, voting in The Bahamas boils down to 10 all-important hours, from 8 a.m., when the polls first open, to 6 p.m., when voting ceases. Then the excitement really begins, as virtually every ear is glued to the radio and every eye is fastened on the televised returns as the poll results slowly make their way from election returning officers, to the parliamentary commissioner's office and then to the radio and TV stations.
Vote counting can be a protracted, arduous and tedious process as each ballot is counted in the polling divisions, closely scrutinized to determine the voter's real intention. Occasionally, this process requires the repeated laborious, monotonous recounting exercise that often tests the patience and judgment of the presiding and returning officers, as well as the candidates who are seeking election.
One possible reform that should be seriously considered is the use of electronic voting machines which can, in many cases, rapidly and accurately determine the election results. Notwithstanding occasional election-day fiascos that have been periodically experienced in other countries, electronic voting machines are generally accepted as being reliable, dependable and efficient. Therefore, we should consider whether the time has come for us to modernize our electoral process with the introduction of electronic voting machines.

Conclusion
We believe that there is considerable room for improving our electoral processes. We should continue to examine decades-old election methods and critically assess whether there is a better, more modern and efficient way of achieving our election results.
By critically challenging and examining our boundaries selection, voter registration and actual voting practices, we can begin to implement improvements that could really deepen and enrich our democracy in ways that were previously unimagined.
In addition to modernizing our electoral process, we might realize the added dividends that such electoral reforms could greatly alleviate the apathy that has been gradually seeping into the body politic. These changes and improvements could make our democracy a more fully functioning, fully participatory exercise, embracing all and allowing everyone a more vibrant voice in choosing leaders who would further develop and strengthen our nation and its future.

o Philip C. Galanis is the managing partner of HLB Galanis and Co., Chartered Accountants, Forensic & Litigation Support Services. He served 15 years in Parliament. Please send your comments to pgalanis@gmail.com.

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