The information campaign continues. Most voting cards have been distributed. Voting stations and collaborators are prepared. Everything is practically ready for the Island Council Elections. The countdown to March 18th has begun, when eligible voters from St. Eustatius, Saba and Bonaire can vote from 7.30 in the morning until 9 o’clock in the evening at any voting station of the public body of residence (in St. Eustatius, the Ernest van Putten Youth Center is the only voting station).
Eligible voters are required to present a voting card and a valid form of identification to cast a vote. Either a Dutch passport, ID card or driver’s license. Without voting card and valid ID, one cannot vote! Proof of identity may not have expired more than five years on election day. If necessary, voters can apply for a new proof of identity at the Census Office (Burgerzaken), but should take the processing time into account.
Eligible voters who did not receive their voting card at home, who lost it or whose voting card is damaged, may ask for a replacement, either in writing until Friday March 13th, or personally at the Census Office at the latest on Tuesday March 17th at 12:00 noon. They need to bring a valid form of identification. Burgerzaken Bonaire will have additional service hours between March 10th and March 16th to grant eligible voters the opportunity to pick up their voting card. The additional hours will be:
– Tuesday March 10th from 16.00-19.00 hours;
– Thursday March 12th from 16.00-19.00 hours;
– Saturday March 14th from 09.00-12.00 hours;
– Monday March 16th from 16.00-19.00 hours.
Service hours at Census Office in St. Eustatius and Saba will remain unchanged. Except on election day, Saba office will be open from 8:30 am until 1 pm (including lunch time). It is important that eligible voters who did not receive their voting card at home not wait until March 17th to pick up their voting card but do so as soon as possible.
It is also possible to let someone else cast one’s vote by giving them either a written proxy or a private proxy. Those who are entitled to vote, but for any reason are unable to do so personally on election day, can use this option to give someone power of attorney. The authorized person must be a resident of the same island, can only do so at the time he deposits his own vote and can deposit a maximum of two votes on behalf of other people. It is worth to note
that bribery and buying of votes by means of gifts or promises in order to gain power of attorney to vote are illegal and punishable by law, also for the person who is being bribed or whose vote is bought.
Through this campaign, Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland (RCN) wants to stimulate eligible voters to go plant a seed on March 18th in a responsible and informed manner so that the islands can continue to grow and blossom.