Low Voter Turnout Still Cause for Concern

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The general election is now in weeks behind us, but there are elements of it that cannot be ignored, according to the Bahamas Chapter of Caribbean Women in Leadership.

Kristina Dragovich tells us more.

However CIWiL Chair, Charlene Paul says voter turnout is something that should shape the way forward. The 2021 general election saw a voter turnout of about 65-percent – considered the lowest in the modern Bahamas. Before that, the 2017 general election had the lowest voter turnout since 1987, with about 88-percent of voters heading to the polls.

However, she says the new government also has the opportunity to forge ahead and learn from the challenges faced by the previous administration.

That includes focusing on those populations that felt disenfranchised during the last election, or simply unmotivated to go to the polls.

As the Davis administration prepares to lay out its agenda in the Speech from the Throne at the opening of Parliament on October 6th, Paul says CIWiL will be looking for good governance and transformational leadership that makes decisions in the best interests of the people.