By Government Press Secretary
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has welcomed the announcement by the Electoral Commission that voter registration will resume on March 9, 2026, while raising concerns about what he described as a year-long suspension of a process that the law requires to be continuous.
In a statement to Parliament on Monday, 23, the Prime Minister said the right of every eligible Dominican to be registered to vote is “foundational to our democratic system,” with particular significance for young citizens seeking to exercise their constitutional right for the first time.
He pointed to Section 17(1) of the Registration of Electors Act, which provides for continuous registration of persons qualified to be registered as electors. According to the Prime Minister, the Act imposes a mandatory and ongoing obligation and contains no provision authorizing the suspension of registration based on administrative or technological challenges.
The Prime Minister described the prolonged suspension, reportedly due to technological readiness, as a serious administrative failure. He noted that the Electoral Commission had previously procured a biometric voter registration and confirmation system from Semlex International in 2017, and later acquired a second system in June 2025 following the passage of updated legislation.
“Even if preferred technological systems were unavailable, the Commission remained legally obliged to continue registration by manual or legacy methods. It did not do so. The consequence has been a year-long interruption of a statutory process that Parliament clearly intended to be continuous,” he stated.
“This has understandably caused public concern, anxiety, and uncertainty. Indeed, the ruling Dominica Labour Party has been prevented for the last 12 months from carrying out a core responsibility of political organizations to bring new voters into the democratic process,” he added.
The Prime Minister explained that Parliament, through the Registration of Electors Act, had provided an accessible alternative for persons without government-issued identification. Regulation 8(4) allows for the submission of a passport-sized photograph certified by a Justice of the Peace. However, he stated that SRO No. 39 of 2025, issued by the Electoral Commission on October 14, 2025, removed the certified photograph as an acceptable option for registration and confirmation.
“In doing so, the Commission departed from the clear intention of Parliament and from the expressed wishes of all political parties, thereby placing certain voters at a distinct disadvantage,” he noted.
The Prime Minister informed Parliament that the Government has asked the Commission to amend the regulations to reinstate the identification option for persons without government-issued ID. He said the Commission has agreed to make the necessary amendments to restore what he termed “electoral equality” in keeping with the intent of Parliament.
The Prime Minister emphasized that the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica and the Dominica Labour Party have had no involvement in the operational or administrative decisions of the Electoral Commission, describing it as an independent constitutional body.
He reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to the rule of law, the independence of constitutional institutions and the protection of citizens’ democratic rights and encouraged all eligible Dominicans to register once the process resumes.
“Our democracy is strongest when institutions act within the law, transparently, and in a manner that earns and sustains public trust,” the Prime Minister said.