Chief Elections Officer reveals 50 new registered voters for today’s by-election in Soufriere constituency

​Chief Elections Officer, Steven LaRocque has revealed that there was an increase in registered voters, due to the upcoming by-election in the Soufriere constituency, which takes place today June 7, 2016. He stated that 50 new voters have registered in the constituency, adding to the existing list of voters from November 2015.
 
He revealed that on “May 13, we got 50 new registrations. However, because we had the final list as at November 15 of that year, the figures dropped for the constituency to 3,381. Because of the 50 now, it went back up to 3,431 eligible voters”. A by-election became necessary in Soufriere due to the resignation of former Dominica Labour Party MP, Ian Pinard, on April 26, 2016, because of what he said were ‘allegations made against him’.
 
Hidges Adams, who lost to Pinard in the 2014 general election, is the United Workers’ Party (UWP) candidate. He will be facing the Dominica Labour Party’s (DLP) Denise Charles in the by-election today.
 
Larocque stated that “everything is in place” for the by-election in that constituency, adding “We have eleven polling stations. There are three in the Scott’s Head area—there will be three of them in the Scott’s Head Primary School; in Soufriere, we have three—two in the village council, and one in the church hall; in Pointe Mitchell, we have five of them—one at Mr. Clayton Christian’s home, the other is at Sheila Etienne’s place, and there will also be three at the Pointe Mitchell community centre.”
 
It was noted that in the Point Mitchell area, the home of Theodora LaBassiere will no longer be used as a polling station. Instead, in the polling district of P03, people’s surnames beginning with letters from A to J are asked to vote at the home of Clayton Christian, and those with surnames beginning with K to Z are to vote at Sheila Etienne’s residence.
 
Polls will open from 7:00 am and will remain open until 5:00 pm today.