Governor Julia Crouch has confirmed plans to commission an independent review of advance voting applications in Anguilla’s recent general election.
She said in a statement on 14 March that the move follows concerns from opposition leader Ellis Webster and will be carried out in the “interests of transparency”.
The review will look at the impact, if any, on the election and any lessons to be learned, the statement explained.
The Governor’s Office will announce the name of the person carrying out the review, once appointed, along with the terms of reference.
It will also publish a summary of the review’s findings once concluded.
Elections supervisor Rodney Rey will be taking a period of pre-planned leave during the review process and as is customary, his deputy will be acting as supervisor, the statement said.
Advance voting
A select group of residents were invited to apply to vote early in the 2025 general election in Anguilla during the advance polls on 25 February.
They included police officers, customs officers, immigration officers, doctors, nurses, emergency medical technicians, prison officers, and medical technologists.
Those who were employed in the Central Electoral Office or were an election officer also qualified along with residents who were physically disabled or at least 70 years old.
Anyone wishing to apply for advance voting was asked to complete an application form at the Central Electoral Office by Monday, 10 February.
This is in accordance with the Elections Act, 2019 and the Elections (Amendment) Act, 2025.
On 24 February, a press release from the Central Electoral Office said people who had applied for advance voting after the deadline would not be permitted to vote early.
Then on 25 February, the elections supervisor admitted in an online interview that he had “wrongfully and inadvertently” allowed some people to register past the deadline.
He said he had hoped to use his discretion for those who had genuine reasons for late registration, but said he was “wrong” and did not have the power under law.
Complaint
In a letter addressed to Governor Julia Crouch and forwarded to press on 7 March, the opposition leader said he wanted to bring focus to what he described as misconduct.
He said Rey unlawfully decided to extend the date for early voter registration and gave the public no notice of his decision.
“His actions constituted a tampering with the voters’ list and undermined the trust of thousands in Mr Rey and the integrity of the entire election process,” Webster wrote.
He said it was a “gravely concerning matter” and reminded the governor that she has ultimate oversight of the electoral process.
“It is your responsibility to act swiftly and meaningfully when you are aware of gross misconduct and breaches of our electoral law,” Webster wrote.
He suggested that she failed to act meaningfully by immediately suspending or dismissing the elections supervisor, adding that neither option was exercised up to the time of writing.
He said the expectation is that she would commission an investigation into the incident and the Central Electoral Office.
