Eligibility To Vote In Turks And Caicos Islands Should Be Increased, Says International Foundation For Electoral Systems
A highly-regarded international organisation which was part of a joint observer mission to the February 19th, 2021 general elections in Turks and Caicos Islands, has recommended that the eligibility to vote should be increased to include a greater proportion of the population.
The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) said the current voter franchise regime in Turks and Caicos Islands “does not align with international best practices in voter eligibility or international conventions” to which the United Kingdom is a party.
“The eligibility to vote should be increase to include a greater proportion of the population, based upon domestic, regional and international best practices, laws, treaties and obligations. To not do so undermines the overall integrity and legitimacy of the electoral process, and democratic will of the people may not be reflected in their elected leaders,” the IFES , an international, non-profit organization based in Arlington, Virginia, which assists and supports elections and electoral stakeholders in new and emerging democracies and has worked in 145 countries and has programs in more than 50 countries throughout Asia-Pacific, Africa, Eurasia, the Middle East, and North Africa, and the Americas.
“Additional dialogue and public engagement are required to determine the best way to ensure inclusion in the electoral process in the TCI and, as a result, representative governance. A range of options could be considered, including electoral system and structural governance changes, and/or voter eligibility reforms.”