Ahead of the upcoming Roseau North by-election, the leader of Dominica’s main opposition United Workers Party (UWP) has ignited fresh controversy over the country’s electoral process, accusing the national Electoral Office of intentionally disenfranchising young eligible voters. Dr. Thomson Fontaine, head of the UWP, made the claims in a public statement posted to his official Facebook page on July 27, alleging that at least two Dominican students completing their higher education overseas were improperly turned away when they attempted to complete their first-time voter registration.
According to Fontaine’s account, the two eligible students traveled back to Dominica specifically to submit their registration applications, as required by protocol, but their submissions were rejected outright by Electoral Office staff. Fontaine pointed out that both students are widely assumed to support the UWP based on the political affiliations of their families, suggesting their rejection was no accidental administrative error.
“This is clearly an attempt by the EO to manipulate the voters’ list,” Fontaine wrote in his post, directly claiming the decision was driven by partisan political motivation. To back up his allegation that the students wrongfully rejected, he cited a clear provision in Dominica’s existing electoral legislation that outlines special rules for overseas students registering to vote. Under Article 7(2)(b) of the national Electoral Act, any individual that is classified as a bona fide full-time student studying outside of Dominica is legally exempt from the standard residency requirement that applies to most first-time voters. The legislation explicitly states that these students are deemed to retain their residency in the polling district where their family home is located, meaning their time spent abroad cannot be used to disqualify their registration.
Fontaine emphasized that this legal provision eliminates any ground for the Electoral Office to reject the students’ applications, and called on electoral authorities to end what he described as targeted disenfranchisement of young opposition-leaning voters. “Please stop attempting to disenfranchise our young voters,” he concluded his statement.
As of July 28, the Electoral Office has not issued any public response to address Fontaine’s specific allegations. The controversy comes amid ongoing preparations for the high-stakes Roseau North by-election. In recent public communications, electoral officials have urged Dominican residents to get all information about registration and voting directly from the Electoral Office, warning against unconfirmed misinformation spreading across social media platforms. The Office has also repeatedly reaffirmed its public commitment to running the upcoming by-election in a secure, transparent, and fully accountable manner, free from partisan interference.