WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT REGISTRATION

Qualifications for registration as a voter

A person seeking to be registered should:

• Have attained the age of eighteen (18) years on the date on which he/she applies to be registered as a voter.

• Be a citizen of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; or be a Commonwealth citizen who has been residing in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for a period of not less than twelve months preceding the date on which he/she applies to be registered as a voter.

• Have lived in a constituency for a period of not less than six months immediately preceding the date on which he/she applies to be registered as a voter.

Where should one go to get registered

• At the registration centre set up by the Electoral Office in the respective Constituency.

• At the Electoral Office in Kingstown (emergency only)

The right to remain registered as a voter

Every person registered as a voter shall remain registered unless and until his/her name is deleted from the register because:

• He/she has died.
• An objection to his/her registration has been allowed by the Registering Officer/Supervisor of Elections.
• He/She has been absent from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for a period exceeding five (5) years - except in cases of absence for approved studies abroad.
• He/She is found or declared to be a person of unsound mind or a patient in any establishment maintained wholly or mainly for the reception and treatment of people suffering from mental illness.
• He/she is undergoing any sentence of imprisonment in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
• He/she is under sentence of death imposed on him by a competent court in any part of the Commonwealth or under sentence of imprisonment exceeding 12 months.

Voter registration in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

For the purpose of electing representatives to the House of Assembly, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is divided into fifteen (15) constituencies. The boundaries of the constituencies are prescribed by order made by the Constituency Boundaries Commission. Registering Officers are appointed by the Governor General and one is assigned to each constituency for the purpose of carrying out the process of registration of voters.

Documents needed for registration as a voter

For Vincentians (by birth)

1. Original copy of Birth certificate
2. NIS card (optional)
3. Original copy of marriage certificate (if female and married)

For Vincentians (by descent)

1. Original copy of Birth certificate
2. Original copy of Birth certificate for the parent who is Vincentian by birth
3. Original copy of marriage certificate (if female and married)
4. NIS card (optional)

For Vincentians (by naturalisation)

1. Original copy of Birth certificate
2. Original copy of Marriage certificate (if female and married)
3. Citizenship certificate
4. NIS card (optional)

For Commonwealth Citizens

• Original copy of Birth certificate
• Original copy of Marriage certificate (if female and married)
• Passport/travel document used to enter Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• NIS card (optional)

NB: When a person gets registered, his/her name is added to the voters’ list and a national identification card is issued to the person. If at any time the identification card is stolen, lost, burnt or misplaced, the person should report it to the Registering Officer in his/her constituency or report to the Office in Kingstown. A reprint of the ID card will be made and issued six (6) months after the report was received. A temporary ID card would be issued for this period of six (6) months.

Requirement for transfer to another constituency

A person requesting a change of residence must be living in the constituency in which he/she wishes to be registered for at least six (6) months on the date on which the person applies for the transfer. The Registering Officer will complete a change of residence form which must be certified by a reputable person living within the constituency and be returned before the process can be completed.

Documents needed for a change of name

The person requesting a change of name must present to the officer the original documents to prove that his/her name is different from that which appears on the voters’ list.
Such documents include:

• Deed Poll
• Affidavit
• Passport
• Birth certificate
• Marriage certificate
• Divorce papers

Note well: When a request for a change of name or transfer has been granted, the registrant must surrender the identification card(s) which he/she has been previously issued.