SPECIAL voting among some 16,748 eligible special electors for the 2025 general elections will end on April 27.
On April 24, the prison service co-ordinated with the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) to allow eligible inmates to vote as special electors.
The process was held at four correctional facilities: Maximum Security Prison, Golden Grove Prison, Port of Spain Prison and the Eastern Correctional Rehabilitation Centre.
Prisoners who wished to vote underwent a verification process to confirm their eligibility under the Representation of the People Act.
Only remanded citizens and those serving sentences of less than 12 months were allowed to vote.
[caption id="attachment_1151611" align="alignnone" width="1024"] A prison inmate exercises his right to vote during the voting period for eligible special voters from April 24-27. - Photo courtesy TT Prison Service. [/caption]
In a statement, the prison service said eligible inmates who expressed their desire to vote were provided with application forms which were submitted to the EBC. The applications, it added, were thoroughly screened for verification of names, dates of birth, addresses and registration status with the EBC.
The exercise was done under the supervision of electoral staff, police and prison authorities to ensure security and transparency.
Special voting began on April 21 and ends on April 27. The EBC reported that over 1,400 special electors voted on the first day.
The Aranguez/St Joseph constituency recorded the highest turnout.
High demand led to longer waiting time at some polling stations, attributed to the additional steps required for special electors compared to the standard voting process.
The EBC reminded special electors to collect their designated envelopes promptly and to expect the process to take more time than usual.
The commission expressed appreciation for the patience shown by participants and reaffirmed its commitment to an efficient and orderly electoral process.
The prison service said facilitating inmate voting is part of its mandate to uphold the rights of all citizens and support the reintegration of inmates into society through civic engagement.
Special voting is a standard feature of TT’s electoral system, ensuring that citizens unable to attend regular polling stations, such as security personnel, election workers and eligible inmates, can still participate in the democratic process.
[caption id="attachment_1151612" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Special ballot box. -[/caption]
TT, under the Representation of the People Act, special voters are people who, for various official, practical, or humanitarian reasons, are allowed to vote before election day (typically by postal ballot or at a special polling station).
Aside from prisoners, special voters may include election officers (like returning officers, presiding officers and poll clerks), who will be on duty on election day; police officers, defence force personnel; public officers engaged in election duties; diplomatic and consul
