Watts says ABEC must ensure that registration officers are in place at all times, lunch breaks notwithstanding

Algernon “Serpent” Watts, the United Progressive Party Candidate for St. George, says that statements made about the St. George Registration Unit by Ian Hughes, Acting Supervisor of Elections, are misleading.

During an interview on the Good Morning Sass show on Tuesday, February 22, Hughes refuted the allegation that the Unit was closed when several people turned up to be registered.  Based on his investigations, he said, staff members were, in fact, at the Unit.

However, Watts says the issue is not that there were persons on site.  Rather, he says, those responsible for registration were not available

Watts complains that it was not only one person who was unable to be registered on Monday, February 21.  He says there were at least five other people of whom he is aware.

The UPP Candidate says that things like these happen too often and, therefore, ABEC should ensure that someone is always available to register prospective voters.

Further, Watts notes, there is nothing in the law that speaks to registration cutting off at any time to accommodate lunch breaks.  Watts says it is the Commission’s responsibility to ensure that registration goes on whenever someone shows up.