ROSEAU, DOMINICA – October 8, 2026 – A leading non-governmental private sector organization in Dominica is sounding a urgent alarm over what it says is a coordinated push to strip thousands of legitimate Dominican voters of their constitutionally protected right to participate in upcoming elections, via an early end to a critical voter confirmation process.
Nearly 20 years of sustained advocacy from civil society groups including the Dominica Business Forum Inc. (DBF) led to the passage of landmark revised electoral legislation in March 2025. The reform was designed to address a long-standing flaw in Dominica’s electoral system: an bloated voter roll that listed 73,305 registered voters, despite the country’s total population falling below 70,000 and historical average voter turnout hovering around just 40,000. Under the new law, the Electoral Commission was granted a 12-month window to clean and confirm the existing voter list, with explicit legal provision for a three-month extension if needed to complete the work.
With the original October 14 deadline just six days away, official data from September 30 shows the Commission has only confirmed 25,126 eligible voters, leaving an estimated 47,527 registered voters still unprocessed. DBF warns that ending the process prematurely would leave Dominica worse off than it was before the 2025 reform: rather than fixing a bloated list, the change would disenfranchise thousands of valid citizens who were already eligible to vote under the old system.
The organization has outlined four key systemic barriers and acts of opposition that have derailed the confirmation process, pointing to what it calls a deliberate effort to cut the process short. First, it cites severe operational mismanagement by the Electoral Commission, highlighted by a controversial mid-election rule change during the September 7 Roseau North By-Election that disrupted voting. Second, top government officials have refused all requests for dialogue: the President of the Commonwealth of Dominica has declined to meet with DBF representatives ahead of the deadline, while the Electoral Commission Chairman has repeatedly ignored requests for consultation. Third, state-owned media outlet DBS Radio has rejected paid ad time from DBF aimed at raising public awareness of the need for the legally permitted extension. Fourth, Prime Minister Skerrit has publicly stated he will refuse to back any extension of the confirmation timeline.
DBF emphasizes that denying the three-month extension—would move the deadline to January 15, 2027—disproportionately harms the large community of Dominicans living overseas. Many of these citizens planned to complete their confirmation during upcoming trips home for Dominica’s Independence celebrations or the 2026 Christmas holiday season. Forcing unconfirmed voters to restart the process through new registration does not resolve the issue, DBF notes: new registration requires three months of continuous local residence in a polling district, a requirement that does not apply to existing registered voters seeking confirmation.
The organization adds that the current low number of confirmed voters already falls far below the 40,000 active voter threshold that historical election data shows is needed for a credible electoral roll. Ending the process early would also strip voting rights from other groups, including young adults who recently turned 18 and registered after the last general election.
In its formal call to action, DBF is urging the Electoral Commission and the President of Dominica to immediately invoke the legally authorized three-month extension, pushing the deadline to January 15, 2027, to give every legitimate voter a fair chance to complete confirmation. If leaders refuse to grant the extension, DBF says the Commission must notify the public immediately to allow eligible voters to make alternative arrangements to confirm their status. Withholding a final decision until October 14, the final day of the original timeline, is completely unacceptable, the organization says.
For eligible voters who remain unconfirmed on the 2025 voter list, DBF urges them to complete the confirmation process before the October 14 deadline if possible. Voters who are unable to meet the deadline are encouraged to submit formal written requests for an extension directly to the Electoral Commission to protect their voting rights.
“Universal adult suffrage was won through the sweat and blood of our ancestors,” the organization said in a statement. “The Dominica Business Forum Inc. stands firm against any attempt to erode this democratic legacy and remains committed to protecting the voice of every Dominican citizen.”
DBF says it will continue pushing for meetings with the President and Electoral Commission Chairman before the October 14 deadline. As a legally registered non-governmental organization unaffiliated with any political party, DBF holds the distinction of being the only private-sector group that facilitated public discussion during the multi-year campaign for electoral reform, a contribution acknowledged by retired judge Sir Dennis Byron.