By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

FORMER National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest, the minister with responsibility for elections in the last Ingraham administration, yesterday voiced concern with low voter registration.

Speaking to The Tribune on the issue, the former Mount Moriah MP implored the Christie administration to expand registration drives throughout the country, calling particularly for events geared toward attracting young voters.

Stopping short of blaming voter apathy for low registration numbers thus far, Mr Turnquest said new and innovative strategies had to be employed to attract those persons “needing that extra push.”

“Obviously there has to be great concern when you consider the reports we have seen in the media to this point,” he said. “There has to be a concentrated effort to get those who are eligible to vote to come out and register. Encouragement is needed in this case and that is clear.

“To be clear, the way the register looks at this point, it is going to take a great effort, that much is clear. But it is an effort that has to be endured, particularly when it comes to those young voters because we have to ensure that they are a part of this process.

“Strategies, some attractive mechanism has to be utilised to get more eligible voters out and registered.”

Earlier this week, The Tribune reported that nearly 57,000 people had registered to vote, a figure much lower compared to this same period before the 2012 general election.

Parliamentary Commissioner Sherlyn Hall on Tuesday told The Nassau Guardian that this figure represents 34 per cent of estimated eligible voters as of November 4.

Speaking as a guest on a radio talk show a day later, Mr Hall said his office was troubled by low voter registration numbers to date.

Admitting that he was unable to pinpoint the reasoning behind the occurrence, Mr Hall said his office was working to help as many persons as possible through the process, hoping that the effort could aid registration numbers.

A closer look at the department’s records which were published this week revealed that 77.2 per cent (43,864) of eligible voters in New Providence have registered; 7,707 (13.6 per cent) in Grand Bahama and 5,225 (9.2 per cent) in the remaining Family Islands.

The 2012 voter registry consisted of 172,000 voters countrywide, 134,000 of whom had registered by this point in 2011.

According to Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson, Mr Hall has accepted legal advice that will allow Bahamians to use their voter’s cards from a previous election to register to vote for next year’s general election without requiring a passport or a birth certificate unless the commissioner specifically demands that one be produced.

His decision comes as a concern that the process has been too burdensome for some Bahamians.