ABEC reminds stakeholders of rules and regulations for access to Polling Stations

St. John’s, Antigua – Tuesday, 1st April, 2025………. As part of its ongoing Public Education campaign, the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission (ABEC), wishes to remind key stakeholders that as part of its mandate outlined in the Representation of the People (Amendment) Act, No. 11 of 2002, its officers are required to maintain and enforce order at polling stations during an Election.

Additionally, only persons who apply and are granted the necessary accreditation certified by the Commission will be given access to the above-mentioned locations. This list includes:

Members of the Media

Election Day Observers

Furthermore, the Commission draws attention to Section 35 of The Representation of the People (Amendment) Act 2002, No. 11 of 2002, which states:

(1) Any person who misconducts himself in a polling station, or fails to obey the lawful orders of the presiding officer, may immediately, by order of the presiding officer, be removed from the polling station by a police officer in or near the station or by any other person authorized in writing by the returning officer to remove him, and the person so removed shall not, without the permission of the presiding officer, again enter the polling station during the day.

(2) Any person so removed may, if charged with the commission in the polling station of an offence, be dealt with as a person taken into custody by a police officer for an offence without a warrant.

(3) The powers conferred by this rule shall not be exercised so as to prevent a voter who is otherwise entitled to vote at a polling station from having an opportunity of voting at that station.

(4) During the hours that the poll is open upon polling day no person shall, in any polling station or upon any public place within one hundred yards of any polling station, remain or seek to influence any elector to vote or refrain from voting for any candidate or political party or to ascertain for whom any elector intends to vote or has voted.

(5) Any person who contravenes the provisions of sub-rule (4) commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars and a term of imprisonment of not more than two months.

According to Section 36:1 of The Representation of the People (Amendment) Act 2001: No. 17 of 2001:

The Commission shall, upon the issuing of the writ for an election, shall consult with ALL electronic and print media operating in Antigua and Barbuda to draw up a time table for:

a) Public Education Programmes for Voters

b) Political broadcast and access to the print media for political parties and candidates to promote their views trough the electronic media and to have their messages printed in the newspapers circulating in Antigua and Barbuda.

Local, regional and international observers are briefed on their roles and responsibilities as observers of any electoral process prior to receiving accreditation from the Commission. It is important to emphasize that the names, organizations and photographs of all observers must be submitted to ABEC on or before any deadline which is published by the Commission in order to be considered duly accredited.