By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

THE government’s plan to introduce biometric voter cards drew sharp resistance Thursday night as supporters of the Coalition of Independents (COI) dominated a town hall meeting, pressing officials with pointed questions and vocal objections about data security, ballot box integrity, and transparency in the electoral process.

The meeting, hosted by the Parliamentary Registration Department, was meant to explain reforms to the Parliamentary Elections Act, including new ID cards with photographs, fingerprints and signatures, and the use of electronic poll books to replace paper registers at polling stations. Officials insisted the changes would streamline voting and strengthen verification, with manual systems retained as a backup.

But the session quickly grew heated. COI supporters jeered in support of their leader Lincoln Bain, who challenged officials on ballot security, the monitoring of overseas polls, and the use of passport and driver’s licence offices to collect biometric data. Applause followed his insistence that the Parliamentary Registration Department should be the sole custodian of voter information.

Audience members raised concerns about potential data breaches and questioned whether ballot boxes were truly secure after polling. One suggested 24-hour live camera surveillance, while another proposed a three-lock system requiring keys from all major parties to open ballot containers.

Panelists, including Parliamentary Commissioner Harrison Thompson and consultant Charles Albury, defended the reforms. They noted the logistical pressures of recent elections, including a surge in advance polling and the addition of international sites, saying the new technology would ease those burdens.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis has argued that the laminated voter cards now in use are outdated and easily forged, citing international observers who have repeatedly flagged weaknesses in registration and identity checks. He maintains the reforms will modernise registration while leaving voting and counting entirely manual.