The information campaign for the Island Council elections is in full swing on Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. Advertisements can be seen in newspapers and on TV, and heard on the radio. The campaign is active on the Internet and on Facebook. Residents of the Caribbean Netherlands also will receive an information folder at home. The folder can also be downloaded from the website: www.rijksdienstcn.com. On this site you can also find ‘Questions and answers for all voters’. Finally, in the coming days, a short infomercial (approximately 5 minutes long) will be broadcasted on local TV stations containing relevant information, including each Governor personally addressing island inhabitants. The infomercial can be downloaded afterwards from the Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland (RCN) website.
The campaign highlights the entire electoral process and carries as its slogan: Plant a vote, let it grow! Topics that are covered include: What documents someone needs to bring in order to vote, what constitutes a valid ID, how to give someone else power of attorney to cast a vote for you, what has to be done in case a voting card is not received, that it is punishable by law to buy or sell votes, the location and layout of voting stations and how to ensure casting a valid vote.
A lot of attention was dedicated to bringing the message in such a way that it appeals to residents of the public entities and that the information is communicated in a clear and objective manner that everyone can easily understand. The campaign is customized for each of the three islands, and provides information in English, Dutch and Papiamentu.
RCN was commissioned by the Minister of Interior and Kingdom Relations as the party responsible for the election information campaign. RCN wants to stimulate eligible voters through this campaign to exercise their right to vote in a responsible and informed manner on March 18th.
As the campaign states: your future is in your hands. Together, the people of Saba, St. Eustatius and Bonaire are responsible for the course of each of their islands. On March 18th, let’s all plant a seed so that our islands can continue to grow and blossom.
