🗳️ Cayman Islands' electoral boundary report may not be approved before elections

It has been nearly a year since the Electoral Boundary Commission completed its report and made recommendations to the Cayman Islands Government on addressing the significant disparity between constituencies across Grand Cayman. However, the United Progressive Movement (UPM) government has yet to inform the public about its plans. The report should have been presented to parliament for debate and decision-making on redrawing the electoral landscape before the next elections, expected in April next year. Opposition Leader Roy McTaggart expressed his concerns about the government's inaction on the report, which was delivered to the Cabinet in August last year. 🏛️

McTaggart expressed worries about the potential for rushed, last-minute changes to electoral boundaries, which could disrupt the election process, confuse voters, and create chaos for the Elections Office, with severe implications for the democratic process. He suggested that unless his concerns are addressed, changes debated and agreed upon this year may be best left for implementation for the 2029 general election. The Cayman Islands Government (CIG) has not indicated whether it will act on the EBC’s findings, and time is running out to organise the recommended changes, which would affect most constituencies. Steve McField, a member of the commission, expressed his frustration that the government had ignored the report. 🗂️

The current imbalance means the electoral landscape is less democratic for voters and residents in larger constituencies, as their vote becomes less influential compared to those in smaller seats. The difference in the number of registered voters in the smallest constituency of East End to the largest in Bodden Town is significant. The boundary commission recommended a slight shift to re-balance the number of voters more evenly between the two Sister Islands seats, with a focus largely on Grand Cayman. The EBC sought to create a better balance between the constituencies within each of the larger districts of West Bay, George Town and especially Bodden Town, the fastest-growing district in the country. 🗳️