Captain Kris Bergstrom of Cayman Airways, takes a photograph for his new voter ID
card, on Monday, 12 May. A team from the Elections Office will be at the Cayman
Airways headquarters from 12-16 May, giving eligible staff an opportunity get their
ID cards.

Elections Office staff began issuing new voter identification cards Monday, 12 May, setting up temporary residence at Cayman Airways Ltd (CAL) headquarters on Owen Roberts Drive.

The exercise at CAL marked the first of a number of locations across the island where voters will be able to get their new ID cards.

All eligible CAL staff were expected to have new ID cards by Friday, 16 May, after which Elections Office staff will move to another location.

Crawford Scott, Deputy Director of the Elections Office, said, “There will be multiple opportunities for people to get their photos taken,” adding that the exercise would continue right up to the 2009 general election.

“We’d like them (voters) to make sure their registered details are correct,” Mr Scott said of the need for individuals to check their personal information before getting ID cards.

He explained that voters could check the electoral register online at www.electionsoffice.ky or at district post offices, to see if their personal details were correct. If changes had been made to a person’s name, address or occupation, he explained they needed to make adjustments using Form 13, available from the Elections Office website and office.

“If a person’s particulars are going to change in the next few months, it is better to wait until the changes have occurred before getting a new ID card,” Mr Scott added, to prevent any discrepancies between an individual’s personal details and what is on the ID card.

New voters could also use the opportunity to submit applications (Form 4) to Elections Office staff at the various locations, he explained. However, they would not be able to get their cards until the forms had been processed and their names added to the electoral register.

Eldon Whittaker, Chief Finance Officer at the Elections Office, explained that the equipment used to produce ID cards is the same that the Vehicle and Licensing Department uses to issue drivers licences. He added that to speed up the process, staff from the licensing department would be assisting the Elections Office on the days the exercise is open to the general public.

Employees in the Customs and Fire Departments and the Civil Aviation Authority will have the opportunity to obtain their IDs between 19 and 23 May. The schedule for other large employers will be available shortly, as will information on locations where members of the general public can go to get their IDs.

Mr Scott pointed out that the IDs began to be issued on Cayman Brac more than a month ago. Election officers will also be going to Little Cayman over the next 12 months. However, registered voters can obtain ID cards on Cayman Brac or Grand Cayman if they wish to, he said.

A similar exercise was conducted in 2000, when there were more than 11,000 people on the electoral roll. The official list of voters currently shows around 13,000 names, Mr Scott said. The revised list has more than 1000 additional names, bringing the expected number of registered voters to just over 14,000. The revised list will become official with amendments on Tuesday, 1 July, he said.

karen@caymannetnews.com