Elections and Boundaries Department
Encyclopedia
The Belize Elections and Boundaries Department is the hands-on administrator of Belizean electoral politics
. It was established in 1989 as a subordinate to the Elections and Boundaries Commission
.
in 1988. The new amendment allowed the EBD's parent body, the EBC, to confer on it its powers in the constitution and the ROPA. Staffing the Department was delegated to the Public Services Commission, which nominated all persons in the department including, after a further amendment in 2001, the Chief Elections Officer. The Department and Chief Elections Officer is now under the control of the Prime Minister's Office and reports to him as well as the Commission.
The current Chief Elections Officer is Dorothy Bradley, who succeeded Stuart Leslie in December 2006.
The offices are staffed with Registering Officers, Assistant Registering Officers, and Data Clerks to take care of the process of registering to vote.
Any Commonwealth Country who is domiciled in Belize, AND Resident in the electoral division not less than 2 months.
The persons objected to, are informed by registered mail and their names are published in one newspaper and the Government Gazette
The Monthly Cycle is from the 11th of one month to the 10th of the other, for example:
August - 11 July to the 10th of August
July - 11 June to the 10th of July
If a person applies on or before the 10th June, the process will be completed with June's Revision Court at the end of June.
If a person applies on the 11th of June or later, the process will be completed with July's Revision Court at the end of July.
A Revised List is posted in all Registration Offices on or before the 5th of the month or immedialty after Revision Court. Copies of all monthly transactions are shared with the two major Political Parties.
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
. It was established in 1989 as a subordinate to the Elections and Boundaries Commission
Elections and Boundaries Commission
The Belize Elections and Boundaries Commissision is the primary electoral body in Belize. It supervises all local and national elections. The Commission also establishes the boundaries of Belize's electoral divisions.-Formation and duties:...
.
Mission statement
As articulated by the EBD itself: "The Elections and Boundaries Department is committed to the enhancement of democracy through the promotion of voter education and the maintenance of a legitimate, impartial, valid electoral process."Establishment of the EBD
The EBD was established by amendment to the Belize ConstitutionConstitution of Belize
The Constitution of Belize is the supreme law of the nation of Belize. It was signed in September 1981 with effect from that date.- Structure :...
in 1988. The new amendment allowed the EBD's parent body, the EBC, to confer on it its powers in the constitution and the ROPA. Staffing the Department was delegated to the Public Services Commission, which nominated all persons in the department including, after a further amendment in 2001, the Chief Elections Officer. The Department and Chief Elections Officer is now under the control of the Prime Minister's Office and reports to him as well as the Commission.
The current Chief Elections Officer is Dorothy Bradley, who succeeded Stuart Leslie in December 2006.
Functions of the EBD
The functions of the Department are grouped into three categories: Electoral Administration, Adjustment of Electoral Records, and Voter Education. Under these are the following:- Organizing and directing the registration of voters
- Compiling electoral registers
- Updating and maintaining electoral records
- Organizing the conduct of elections
- Preside over the orderly transfer of Electors
- To operate a professional electoral service
- To strengthen public confidence in the electoral system
- To increase the level of voter participation through voter education
Organization
The EBD's central office is located in Belize City, the municipality with the largest concentration of voters in the country, at P.O. Box 913, Mahogany Street Extension. Other offices include:- Belize DistrictBelize DistrictThe Belize District is a district of the nation of Belize, with its district capital being the nation's largest city, Belize City.- Settlements :...
offices:- Sub-Office: San PedroSan Pedro TownSan Pedro is a town on the southern part of the island of Ambergris Caye in the Belize District of the nation of Belize, in Central America. According to 2005 mid-year estimates, the town has a population of about 12,400. It is the second largest city in the Belize District and largest city in the...
Ambergris Caye (Belize Rural South only) - Belize Rural North, Central, South, Caribbean Shores, Pickstock, Fort George, Freetown: #92 North Front and Victoria Streets, Belize City
- Collet, Mesopotamia, Lake Independence: Cemetery Road, Belize City (as of May 2007)
- Albert, Queen's Square, Port Loyola: #89 Euphrates Avenue, Belize City
- Sub-Office: San Pedro
- Corozal DistrictCorozal DistrictCorozal District is the northernmost district of the nation of Belize. The population was 33,335 as of 2000. The district capital is Corozal Town.-The Villages of Corozal District:...
(Corozal North, Bay, Southeast and Southwest): #37 Second Street North (Lower Flat), Corozal Town
- Orange Walk DistrictOrange Walk DistrictOrange Walk District is a district in the northwest of the nation of Belize, with its district capital in Orange Walk Town.- Main settlements :...
(Orange Walk East, South, Central and North Electoral Divisions) : #1A Santa Maria Street, Orange Walk Town
- Cayo DistrictCayo DistrictCayo District is a district in the west of the nation of Belize. The District capital is the town of San Ignacio.- Geography :The Cayo District is the largest district in Belize. It is located on the western side of the country which borders Guatemala. The nation's capital, Belmopan, is...
:- Cayo North, Central, Northeast: 28 West Street, San Ignacio Town
- Cayo South and BelmopanBelmopanBelmopan , estimated population 20,000 is the capital city of Belize.Belmopan is located at , at an altitude of 76 metres above sea level. Belmopan was constructed just to the east of Belize River, inland from the former capital, the port of Belize City, after that city's near destruction by...
: Market Square, City of Belmopan - Cayo West Sub-Office: Benque Viejo del Carmen Post Office (Every second Thursday each month)
- Stann Creek DistrictStann Creek DistrictStann Creek District is a district in the south east region of Belize. According to the 2010 census, the district had a population of 32,166 people...
(DangrigaDangrigaDangriga, formerly known as Stann Creek Town, is a town in southern Belize, located on the Caribbean coast at the mouth of Stann Creek. It is the capital of Belize's Stann Creek District and also the largest town in southern Belize...
and Stann Creek West):#16 Tubroose Street, Dangriga
- Toledo District (Toledo East and West): #41 Prince Street, Punta GordaPunta GordaPunta Gorda may refer to:*Punta Gorda, Belize*Punta Gorda, Florida*Punta Gorda Light, Humboldt County, California, USA*Punta Gorda, Montevideo, in Uruguay....
Town- Sub-Office: #135 Fadden Avenue, Independence Village, Stann Creek District
The offices are staffed with Registering Officers, Assistant Registering Officers, and Data Clerks to take care of the process of registering to vote.
Process of voter registration
Only registered voters have the right to elect Political Leaders at the National and Municipal level. Who is eligible to register to vote? Every person who is: 18 years or over, A citizen of: Belize, Any Commonwealth Country who has resided in Belize for not less than 12 months, orAny Commonwealth Country who is domiciled in Belize, AND Resident in the electoral division not less than 2 months.
Where to register?
Visit the Registration Office of Elections and Boundaries Department in your Area. Twelve District Offices countrywide are manned by Registration Officers.How to register?
- Apply personally with either a birth certificateBirth certificateA birth certificate is a vital record that documents the birth of a child. The term "birth certificate" can refer to either the original document certifying the circumstances of the birth or to a certified copy of or representation of the ensuing registration of that birth...
, passportPassportA passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
, or naturalizationNaturalizationNaturalization is the acquisition of citizenship and nationality by somebody who was not a citizen of that country at the time of birth....
certificate. Fill out and sign Application Form and Record Card, then take a photograph for the ID Card and the Record Card. Registering officers will verify all particulars and process cards subject to the revising process as below. The first ID card is free, all subsequent requests are charged $10.00.
- A temporary list of applicants called "Supplementary List" is prepared by the Registering Officer for public scrutiny from 15th to the 25th of the month and posted at all Registration Offices.
- If there are objections during the 15th to the 25th, the following is completed before proceeding to Revision Court:
The persons objected to, are informed by registered mail and their names are published in one newspaper and the Government Gazette
- The Revising Officer in a Revision Court approves the Supplementary List at the end of each month.
- A Revised List is prepared. Only those on the Revised List become Registered Electors. The Revision Court is the sole authority to decide who will remain on the monthly Revised List.
- ID Cards are issued to those on the Revised List approximately one week after the Revision Court.
What is the Cycle for Voter Registration?
The process of registration is continuous and it is conducted every working day. The process for a month is closed on the 10th in order to prepare the Temporary or Supplementary List for the 15th as required by law.The Monthly Cycle is from the 11th of one month to the 10th of the other, for example:
August - 11 July to the 10th of August
July - 11 June to the 10th of July
If a person applies on or before the 10th June, the process will be completed with June's Revision Court at the end of June.
If a person applies on the 11th of June or later, the process will be completed with July's Revision Court at the end of July.
A Revised List is posted in all Registration Offices on or before the 5th of the month or immedialty after Revision Court. Copies of all monthly transactions are shared with the two major Political Parties.