Vote-Buying and Election Awareness - Integrity Group Barbados

Vote-Buying and Election Awareness

Reports that officers of the Royal Barbados Police Force have recently undergone election training is welcomed news. Included in this training was the matter of vote-buying where officers were made aware of the strategies employed to perform this illegal practice. The training exercise also involved meetings with parties’ campaign personnel to inform them that vote-buying was a priority. With the RBPF attention on vote-buying, Integrity Group Barbados is hopeful that the Force’s efforts include strategies to combat such actions.

Vote-buying and selling is illegal

As police internal training and consultation with political campaigns are underway, the public’s awareness on electoral matters should follow suit. With much of the emphasis being placed on vote-buying the public should fully understand what is it encompasses and how it occurs. Vote-buying is the attempt to influence an elector’s participation and their choice of candidate by offering a bribe. Under the Elections and Controversies Act, both the supplier and receiver of the bribe would be committing a corrupt and illegal act. The Act categorizes bribery to include the giving of money, gifts or the promise of securing an office to an elector. Equally as important, the Act also outlaws the use of threats, violence or force to affect an elector’s vote. Additionally, the legislation addresses the practice of “treating” where, giving, providing and paying for food, drink or entertainment to influence an elector’s vote is an offense.

Vote-buying can encourage future corruption

In addition to its illegality, voters should also refrain from the practice of vote-selling as it comes at a greater cost than the awarded bribe. It should be considered, that when some politicians and their agents are brazened enough to engage in corrupt practices in plain sight, corruption will likely flourish behind closed doors. Therefore, voters ought not to encourage or standardize corrupt practices through their participation—Contrary to recent encouragements, do not take the money!

Report corrupt attempts to influence your vote

What should instead occur is reporting any suspicious activities and corrupt attempts aimed at influencing votes. These activities and attempts can be reported to the RBPF, the Electoral and Boundaries Commission or Crime Stoppers as these agencies are responsible for investigating such occurrences. Given vote-buying can undermine electoral integrity, a civic-minded and proactive approach to combat this practice is necessary.

Zero-tolerance for electoral misconduct

Elector’s misconduct during the campaign period is also a factor that can undermine electoral integrity. As such, the RBPF has raised with political parties the need to rein in their candidates and supporters from acts of misconduct. Integrity Group Barbados is supportive of this intervention as high passions and deep political loyalties can influence hostile and disruptive behaviors. Therefore, a zero-tolerance approach to misconduct is required if Barbados’ admirable history of peaceful elections and transfers of power are to be maintained.

Voter preparedness

Procedural awareness and voter preparedness are also needed to ensure a smooth and successful process. Accordingly, electors should be aware of their registration status as you must be registered in order to vote. Additionally, electors should note that they ought to be registered in the constituency that they have resided in six months prior to the election date. The Electoral and Boundaries Commission has also provided an online portal and a hotline to verify at which polling station an elector is to vote. On polling day, there are also practices and regulations that must be adhere to. Electors should be awarded no less than one hour for voting without any deductions in payment or other penalties. Electors should also note that the use of cellular phones in the voting booth are prohibited.

Few can deny the importance of elections and the potential consequences that can follow. Integrity Group Barbados can advocate for electoral integrity, but it is Barbadians’ responsibility to treat elections as a meaningful and consequential investment into their futures. Therefore, Barbadians’ engagement in vote-buying should be discouraged as it compromises this investment. During campaigns, when we support corrupt behaviors through our participation our well-beings are threatened as these practices can continue into governance. Therefore, no elector should sell their vote as elections are for a day, but the consequences for accepting a valueless bribe can last for years to come.

Main points to note