The Premier should have called the election in December and passed one-off legislation to allow mail-in voting to help protect people’s health, according to OBA MP Susan Jackson.
With people stuck overseas and who cannot get back to Bermuda due to Covid, the Premier should also have considered absentee voting when making changes to the Parliamentary Election Act 1978.
“This election was an ideal time to pass one-off legislation to allow mail-in voting to help protect people’s health and reach Bermudians unable to travel home; according to OBA MP Susan Jackson.
“Just today (Tues, Aug 25) we were told of a confirmed case of Covid identified as a community transmission. So much effort has gone into strict health and safety measures and yet here we are about to mobilise small campaign armies to go from house to house.
“Bermuda has a high proportion of seniors and a high level of diabetics and asthmatics, three of the most high-risk categories. Are we going to jeopardise their health because the Premier didn’t think about mail-in voting?
“If David Burt really cares about Bermudians, all he had to do was consult the OBA and leverage the research to pass one-off legislation and allow voting by mail. With a 25-11 majority that should not have been a problem.
“The Premier consulted here and overseas about handling Covid, did he consult about the need for mail-in voting or the possible consequences of holding a general election while Covid is still very much in our midst?