The Bahamas’ national parliament was formally dissolved on Wednesday, marking the official start of the campaign period for the country’s upcoming May 12 general election, as thousands of eligible Bahamian voters endured multi-hour waits in lengthy lines on the final day of voter registration across the archipelago.
On the steps of Parliament House, Police Commissioner Shanta Knowles publicly read the dissolution proclamation on behalf of Governor General Cynthia “Mother” Pratt. Under constitutional rules, the next parliamentary session is scheduled to convene just eight days after the general election, on May 20, once new representatives have been elected.
Across registration sites, from the Parliamentary Registration Department’s headquarters to mall locations and post office branches, the flood of last-minute registrants stretched operational capacity to its limit. At the main registration department, crowds packed the building’s entry foyer as steady rain fell outside, with many voters describing the process as frustratingly slow even for those who had started their applications weeks earlier.
Many of the voters who turned out on the final day cited pressing economic and public service concerns that are shaping their voting decisions, from sky-high inflation and rising living costs to gaps in healthcare and lack of support for small business owners.
Moses McKenzie, who returned to the Bahamas roughly two months ago after a decade living in Canada, said skyrocketing living costs were the top issue on his mind as he prepared to cast his ballot. “I feel like inflation in The Bahamas is crazy,” he explained. “I looked at gas prices yesterday – $6.50 for a gallon of fuel. Inflation is just killing us over here.”
Chrastina Rox, a voter in the Southern Shores constituency, told reporters she waited two and a half hours to complete her registration, a process she described as reasonably organized but held up by systemic slowdowns. She noted she had initially started her registration two months prior, but a technical glitch erased all her information, forcing her to start over from scratch. Rox said she is still undecided on her vote, but added that PLP candidate Obie Roberts has earned her early interest for his campaign focus on expanding mental health access and advocating for women’s rights.
First-time voter Mario Knowles said he ultimately completed his registration after persistent encouragement from his parents and outreach from party campaign workers. For Knowles, the lack of full healthcare access in the country’s outlying Family Islands is a non-negotiable issue. “In my 24 years on this earth, it doesn’t make any sense to me, especially medically, why our Family Islands only have small clinics,” he said. “There is no reason we should still only have basic clinics out there in 2024.”
At the Town Centre Mall registration site, wait times stretched to multiple hours, with many voters sharing stories of repeated failed attempts to register. Marco Ricardo Bell said he had already waited nearly three hours and was told he might not be processed until 10pm that night, adding that if the process did not speed up, he would leave – and likely would not bother turning out to vote at all.
Nadia Bevans, a mother of five who lost her beauty business and her home during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Wednesday marked her fifth attempt to register. On previous visits, she was turned away despite arriving before the official closing time, after being given contradictory information about registration hours. She arrived shortly after 8am and did not complete her process until close to noon, though she acknowledged the process was less chaotic than her prior attempts. For Bevans, government support for struggling entrepreneurs is the defining issue of this election. “During the pandemic, I lost my business, I lost my home and everything like that,” she explained. “I’m just starting over again as a beautician. I can’t find anyone to help me, to fund my business to bring it back up. Everybody talks about government jobs, but there’s no help for people who want to work for themselves.” Bevans added she plans to vote for the Coalition of Independents in her constituency.
Veronica Ferguson, a mother of three with a special needs child, said balancing caregiving responsibilities made it extremely difficult to carve out time to register, but she was determined to complete the process to vote for incumbent Englerston MP Glenys Hanna-Martin, whom she plans to support for re-election.
Long lines were also reported at the Cable Beach Post Office registration site. R Smith, an entrepreneur and voter in the Fort Charlotte constituency, said she is particularly concerned about the rising costs of operating a small to medium-sized business in the Bahamas, and wants to see the next government implement policies to ease that burden. Smith added that she is deeply disappointed in the performance of the opposition Free National Movement (FNM). “I’m very grossly disappointed in the FNM – it’s almost as if we don’t have an opposition,” she said. “Therefore, you almost leave the Bahamian people with only one real choice.” She plans to vote for PLP candidate Sebas Bastian.
In a statement Wednesday, Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) chairman Fred Mitchell said he expects the general election process to proceed peacefully, and confirmed that party officials have been advised the formal writ of election will be issued on Thursday, the day after parliament’s dissolution.