Ministry of Education B.E.S.T. Bahamas Education School Technology Project P.O. Box N3919 Nassau, Bahamas Ministry of Education B.E.S.T. Bahamas Education School Technology Project P.O. Box N3919 Nassau, Bahamas

Ministry of Education B.E.S.T. Bahamas Education School Technology Project P.O. Box N3919 Nassau, Bahamas constituencies – body of voters in a district policies – plan of action stated by a political party or a group of people who have the same ideas about how a country or organization should be run dissolved – to close a session of Parliament

Ministry of Education B.E.S.T. Bahamas Education School Technology Project P.O. Box N3919 Nassau, Bahamas candidates – someone who stands for election election campaign – time before an election during which candidates of political parties persuade people to vote for them by explaining their plans and policies rallies – political meeting polling stations – place where people go to vote

Ministry of Education B.E.S.T. Bahamas Education School Technology Project P.O. Box N3919 Nassau, Bahamas ballot - voting form secret ballot – voting so that only the person who votes knows what or who he or she has voted for preliminary return – the first count of votes

Ministry of Education B.E.S.T. Bahamas Education School Technology Project P.O. Box N3919 Nassau, Bahamas We have already learnt that rules are needed by a community. In every group, leaders are chosen to make and enforce these rules. In this chapter we learn how the leaders of The Bahamas – our Members of Parliament (MPs) – are chosen.

Ministry of Education B.E.S.T. Bahamas Education School Technology Project P.O. Box N3919 Nassau, Bahamas Our country is divided into voting areas called constituencies. These areas are defined by Parliament. The 40 constituencies in 2002 are listed in the table. A Member of Parliament is elected for each constituency.

New Providence Constituencies 1. Adelaide 9. Farm Road17. Montagu 2. Bain and Grants Town 10 Fort Charlotte18 Mount Moriah 3 Bamboo Town 11 Fox Hill19 Pinewood 4 Blue Hills 12 Garden Hills20 St Cecilia 5 Carmichael 13 Golden Gates21 St Margaret 6 Delaporte 14 Holy Cross22 St Thomas More 7 Elizabeth 15 Kennedy23 South Beach 8 Englerston 16 Marathon24 Yamacraw Family Islands Constituencies 25 North Abaco32 Exuma 39 Long Island &Ragged Is. 26 South Abaco33 Eight Mille Rock 40 Mical (Mayaguana Inagua, 27 N. Andros & Berry Is 34 High Rock Crooked Is, Acklins, Long 35 Lucaya Cay 36 Marco City 28 South Andros 37 Pineridge 29 Cat Island, Rum Cay 38 West End and Bimini and San Salvador 30 North Eleuthera 31 South Eleuthera

New Providence -St. Annes -Carmichael - Killarney -Ft. Charlotte –Elizabeth -Bamboo Town -Bain & Grant’s Town –Blue Hills –Clifton – Garden Hills – Golden Gates -Golden Isles – Montague – Pinewood – South Beach – St. Cecelia – Fox Hill -St. Thomas More – Mt. Moriah – Marathon – Sea Breeze – Englerston - Farm Road & Centerville – Kennedy - Yamacraw Family Islands Constituencies Eight Mile Rock – Pineridge - North Andros & Berry Is. – High Rock – South Andros – South Abaco -Cat Is., Rum Cay & San Salvador – Lucaya – North Abaco –Marco City -Mayaguana, Inagua, Croocked Island, Acklins & Long Cay (MICAL) - Exuma -North Eleuthera – South Eleuthera – West End & Bimini – Long Is. & Ragged Is.

Ministry of Education B.E.S.T. Bahamas Education School Technology Project P.O. Box N3919 Nassau, Bahamas Citizens of each constituency have the right, by voting, to decide who should lead or represent them. However, not every citizen may vote – a voter must be aged at least 18 years. At this age a person is considered mature enough to make important decisions.

Ministry of Education B.E.S.T. Bahamas Education School Technology Project P.O. Box N3919 Nassau, Bahamas People who are mentally ill are not allowed to vote because they are not considered able to make important national decisions. Prisoners are also denied the right to vote as part of their punishment. Once you are eligible or able to vote, you should register your name and prove your citizenship. Your name is then added to the voters’ list.

Ministry of Education B.E.S.T. Bahamas Education School Technology Project P.O. Box N3919 Nassau, Bahamas You may vote for only one of the candidates in an election. Most candidates belong to a political party. Each party has its own ideas about how the country should be run, and these ideas are stated as policies. So people have some idea of what to expect from a party if it wins an election and forms the Government.

Ministry of Education B.E.S.T. Bahamas Education School Technology Project P.O. Box N3919 Nassau, Bahamas Most democratic countries have two main parties. In The Bahamas the two major parties are the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), and the Free National Movement (FNM). Other parties include: –T–The People’s Democratic Force (PDF) –T–The Democratic Labor Reformers (DLR) –T–The Commonwealth Citizens Party (CCD)

Ministry of Education B.E.S.T. Bahamas Education School Technology Project P.O. Box N3919 Nassau, Bahamas Our constitution states that an election must be held every five years, although it may be more frequently than this. Parliament must be dissolved 35 to 45 days before the date of a general election. This gives each party enough time to prepare its case for election.

Ministry of Education B.E.S.T. Bahamas Education School Technology Project P.O. Box N3919 Nassau, Bahamas On nomination day the candidates for each party must submit their names and pay a deposit of money to the constituency office. If the candidate wins at least one-eight of all the votes in the constituency, he or she gets the deposit back. The diagram on the next page shows the steps taken during the run-up to a general election, when a new government is chosen.

DLR PDF PLP FNM CCD

Ministry of Education B.E.S.T. Bahamas Education School Technology Project P.O. Box N3919 Nassau, Bahamas In an election campaign, every constituency has meetings or rallies at which candidates tell the people about their party’s plans for the future. They explain what they will try to do if they are elected.

Ministry of Education B.E.S.T. Bahamas Education School Technology Project P.O. Box N3919 Nassau, Bahamas The different candidates have posters made to advertise themselves and to try to influence people to vote for them. There are also radio and television broadcasts, and newspaper articles, in which the candidates and the political parties set out their policies.

Ministry of Education B.E.S.T. Bahamas Education School Technology Project P.O. Box N3919 Nassau, Bahamas On election day the sale of alcohol is banned to make sure that every voter thinks clearly before voting. Schools, church halls and other public buildings are used as polling stations, where people go to vote. At the polling station each voter shows his or her voter’s card, which is proof of registration, and the voter’s name is crossed off the voters’ list.

Ministry of Education B.E.S.T. Bahamas Education School Technology Project P.O. Box N3919 Nassau, Bahamas This is to ensure that each voter votes only once. The voter is then given a special ballot, and enters the polling booth. There the voter marks an X on the ballot beside the name of the candidate he or she is supporting, folds the paper over, and drops it into the ballot box. This is a secret ballot, which means that no one else knows how the voter votes.

Ministry of Education B.E.S.T. Bahamas Education School Technology Project P.O. Box N3919 Nassau, Bahamas When the polling station closes, the votes are counted for the first time. This is called the preliminary return. Votes are counted in front of many people to make sure that there is no cheating. A day or two later the votes are counted again to double check the results.

Ministry of Education B.E.S.T. Bahamas Education School Technology Project P.O. Box N3919 Nassau, Bahamas The candidate who wins most votes secures the constituency for his or her party. The party that wins the most constituencies, or seats in parliament, wins the election, and becomes the government party.

Ministry of Education B.E.S.T. Bahamas Education School Technology Project P.O. Box N3919 Nassau, Bahamas In The Bahamas, elections are usually peaceful. Voters exercise their right to choose a leader with little or no trouble. But in some countries people are threatened if they do not vote for a particular party, and in these places election day may be marked with violence.