THE brother of a man who died in 2003, but who had a polling card delivered in his name, to his house, is calling on the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) to get its house in order before next Monday's general election.
Siewdath Bahal of Beuacarro Village, St Mary’s, Carapichaima told Newsday via phone call on April 22 that he received a polling card over the weekend in the name of his brother Devanand Bahal, who died in 2003. He said he received a similar polling card for his brother in the 2010 general election, but not in the 2015 elections.
“I didn’t take it on then because I thought the EBC had not updated their records.
“The EBC says we have 1.1 million people eligible to vote and that is so strange. So maybe that is how they have that number eligible to vote, how can you bring up a dead man's record since 2003 and send him a poll card saying his name is on the list and he’s eligible to vote?”
Bahal said he thought when his brother's death was registered, all relevant institutions would be notified.
“It is strange to know he died in 2003 and we’re in 2025. I know usually in my history of working with the EBC, it’s 700-800,000 people eligible to vote in our country, so it’s strange to see one point something million people eligible to vote out of a population of 1.4 million.
“I’m not sure if they’re going to use his name on someone else’s name. I worked as an EBC agent in the late 90s and early 2000s and now I’m not sure of the process of the EBC. I know what it used to do, when they update the list, they usually came in the village.
"What about the field officers who come into the different areas and districts and communities and towns to investigate before they update the list? Doesn’t that happen anymore?”
Bahal shared a photo of his brother’s death certificate and a photo of the poll card with Newsday. He said this event has him questioning whether the EBC was fit and able to carry out a fair and square general election.
“A man dead since 2003 and you have his name in 2025 to vote, sending him a poll card. It begs the question about the integrity of the EBC. This election is a very crucial one. The EBC needs to get its house in order in terms of this kind of stuff and I may not be the only one. I think there may be others in the country. Who knows how many others who dead but still getting polling cards out there?”
Former UNC senator Wade Mark brought this situation to the media’s attention at a media conference at the office of the Opposition Leader, Charles Street, Port of Spain on April 22.
“This man has been dead since December of 2003. So 22 years later, the EBC is issuing a poll card and this has gone to the home of a dead man. How many more cards have been issued in the name of dead people by the EBC? This is extremely serious. We bring it to your attention because we are very concerned about the integrity of the election process.
He claimed that the PNM was "working with the EBC" to frustrate the will of the people.
"A storm is brewing because any party that uses the EBC...to undermine, to compromise the integrity of the election process, is begging for trouble and a storm is brewing and we warn the EBC, we warn the country, do not frustrate the will of the majority of the people,” Mark said.
