Speaker of the House Claudius Francis has moved to clear up common misconceptions surrounding Saint Lucia’s election laws and voting process, during a speech at the launch of Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) candidate Keithson Charles for the Choiseul/Saltibus constituency.
Speaking on the rights of employees on election day, Francis explained that the law allows workers to take sufficient time off to cast their vote without facing deductions.
“It’s a minimum of two hours… or however long it may take to cast the vote,” he said. “So if an employee were to go on the line or to vote from work and spends five hours, any employer who deducts money from that employee’s pay for the additional three hours is liable to be charged.”
He advised that employees who encounter issues such as pay deductions or dismissal for voting should report the matter to the Labour Department, the Electoral Commission or they could speak to their representative.
Francis also addressed confusion over voter identification. He reaffirmed that an expired ID card does not prevent a citizen from voting.
“Can you vote with an expired ID? Absolutely,” he stated. “Any form of identification with a photograph, the expiration date is immaterial. It is the business sector which requests that you have up-to-date IDs, not the government.”
Turning to the issue of residency, Francis clarified that voters must reside in the constituency where they intend to vote for at least two months before the qualifying date. “Any election held in the first half of the year, the qualifying date is the 15th of February. Any election in the second half of the year, the qualifying date is the 15th of July,” he explained.
He further noted that individuals who turn 18 after the qualifying date are not eligible to vote in that election. “If somebody were to turn 18 today, and the Prime Minister were to announce the election [in] December, that person could not vote because he has turned 18 after the qualifying date of 15th of July,” Francis said, comparing it to age cut-offs in sports tournaments.
Addressing the needs of persons with disabilities, Francis announced that interpreters would be provided, while the physically incapacitated and the blind would be assisted in casting their votes. “The physically incapacitated person may have a broken hand… That person can go to the presiding officer and ask the presiding officer to vote for them,” he explained. Blind persons, he added, may also bring a trusted individual from their polling division to assist.
Francis also spoke about provisions for citizens living overseas and those without valid identification. He noted that even “absent of any form of identification, oaths can be taken” and individuals can be identified using a master list. However, he cautioned that if anyone lies during the process, “they go to jail.” He reminded voters that those living abroad for more than five consecutive years can be removed from the list but are eligible for re-registration upon returning to Saint Lucia.
Addressing attire on election day, Francis said, “Every Labour Party person can wear red on election day, but the t-shirt or the shirt must not have the words ‘vote for’.” He added that party symbols and names are also not permitted.
Clarifying details about national identification, Francis revealed that “Your ID number and your NIC Number are the same.” He explained that while the number at the top right of the card serves as both ID and NIC, “the number at the back of the card… is your voter ID card number, and that’s the number that will match on the voters list.”
He further highlighted a recent amendment to the Elections Bill, which now allows election night results to stand if the margin between candidates is small, unless a recount is formally requested.
Francis expressed that Saint Lucia’s electoral process is well-structured and fair, supported by legislation that ensures inclusivity, accessibility, and transparency for all eligible voters.
He praised Saint Lucia’s Elections Bill, calling it “the most perfect election bill that I’m aware of in any country, including the United States.” He said the legislation is comprehensive and has ensured fair elections since its introduction.
