A recent administrative misstep has prompted the Electoral Commission to issue an official clarification on the mandatory candidate registration deposit for upcoming elections, following amendments to the nation’s electoral legislation.
Commission Chairman Duncan Stowe addressed the discrepancy during a press briefing held last Thursday, clearing up confusion that stemmed from outdated information printed on official candidate registration forms. Per the recently revised electoral laws, the required registration deposit has been raised from the original EC$500 to EC$1,000. However, the Electoral Office’s publicly distributed registration documents continued to list the old, lower EC$500 fee long after the legislative change took effect.
This mismatch between statutory regulation and administrative documentation created a significant risk of misunderstanding for individuals planning to stand as candidates in the coming electoral contest. Stowe emphasized that the EC$1,000 deposit is the legally mandated amount that all candidates must pay to complete their registration under the updated rules.
To resolve the issue, the Electoral Office has announced it will immediately move to correct the error by printing and distributing fully updated registration forms that accurately reflect the current statutory fee requirement. The commission’s proactive clarification comes as it works to ensure full transparency and compliance with the amended election laws ahead of candidate registration opening.