United Workers Party (UWP) leader Dr. Thomson Fontaine has issued grave concerns regarding significant challenges plaguing Dominica’s ongoing Voter Confirmation Process. In an exclusive interview with Dominica News Online (DNO), Fontaine revealed that numerous citizens are encountering substantial barriers when attempting to complete their electoral registration.
The opposition leader identified the passport ownership requirement as a primary obstacle preventing eligible voters from confirming their registration status. Despite concerted efforts by multiple political factions, including collaborative outreach with the Electoral Reform Coalition and separate communications directly to the Electoral Commission, authorities have remained unresponsive to these concerns.
“We have reached out through multiple channels—both jointly with other parties and through independent statements—yet we’ve received absolutely no feedback from the commission,” Fontaine disclosed. The political coalition includes representation from The Freedom Party, The UPP, and the Team Unity Dominica (TUD) party.
Fontaine emphasized the alarming combination of low confirmation rates and procedural sluggishness, stating: “The extremely slow pace of confirmation and the minimal numbers processed to date raise serious questions about the sustainability of this entire process.”
As a solution, the UWP leader has formally petitioned the Electoral Commission to reinstate SRO 27 provisions that previously permitted birth certificates as valid identification for voter confirmation. This regulatory adjustment would eliminate the passport mandate that currently disenfranchises many potential voters.
The voter confirmation initiative, which commenced on October 15, 2025, after extensive delays, involves a multi-step verification process: examination of the May 2025 voters list, validation of witness registration within matching polling districts, document review, completion of Form 31 before enrollment officials, electronic data entry with photograph and document scanning, dual-screen verification by applicants, and final receipt issuance via Form 32.