St. John’s, March 2nd 2026 – The Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission (ABEC) announces the official transition from opaque ballot boxes to transparent ballot boxes for all upcoming electoral processes in Antigua and Barbuda.
This initiative forms part of the Commission’s ongoing commitment to strengthening electoral integrity, enhancing transparency, and building public confidence in the democratic process. Supervisor of Elections, Ian S Hughes, explained that transparent ballot boxes are widely recognized as an international best practice and represent a practical and effective measure to reinforce accountability throughout the voting process.
Mr. Hughes explains further that the “transparent ballot boxes enhance public trust, allow visible accountability during voting and ballot handling, reduce concerns about ballot tampering, and further align Antigua and Barbuda with global standards for free and fair elections”.
Under the new policy, all polling stations will utilize transparent ballot boxes in the future. The by-election in St. Philip North on Monday 16th March 2026, will be the first process where the new boxes will be utilized. At the commencement of voting, electors and observers will be able to clearly verify that each ballot box is empty before ballots are cast.
Chairman of the Commission, Ambassador Arthur G.B Thomas, assures the electorate that the secrecy, security, and confidentiality of the vote remain fully protected.
“The transparent ballot box does not compromise voter privacy,” Ambassador Thomas emphasized. “It simply allows election officials and observers to confirm that ballots are being collected openly and honestly, not to see how individuals vote.” In efforts to ensure a smooth transition, ABEC will conductcomprehensive training for electoral staff and observers to guarantee that all procedures are conducted professionally and respectfully. -30-
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Transparent Ballot Boxes cannot and will not prevent cheating. An election is stolen months and weeks before voting begins, eg. Transferring voters from strong Constituencies to weaker ones to sure them up and also having people voting in more than one constituency. It was definitely stated that that took place in the last General Election. The only thing Transparent Boxes can tell you is the Boxes were not stuffed with ballots prior to the start of the process and with these people who the hell knows
I welcome this new move in using transparent ballot boxes in our election process; and hopefully, this tiny move in transparency will encourage our politicians to do likewise, especially in financial matters.
Never forget, from small acorns mighty trees 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳 grow
I AM WONDERING IF ANY VOTERS WERE TRANSFERRED INTO THAT CONSTITUENCY BY THE LEADER OF THE PARTY.HE DID SAY,IT WAS DONE BY HIM IN THE LAST GENERAL ELECTION.NO ONE HAD THE BACKBONES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
LMAO you sound like DJT and his MAGA cult with that whole election was stolen garb. According to you daily GB dovoted fans GB is the biggest liar on earth. Nothing he says is true so how come all of a sudden him saying he transfered voters to other consituties to steal the election is true. Are you dumb?? St. Phillip North has always been considered a Labor strong hold. Why would the world biggest liar GB need to cheat up there. Looks like yall have your exuxse ready for when UPP loses the by election.
@ WAP
Don’t you know their are some people who a barefaced and ballplated and do not care what they say because they think they are above the law. They have a habit of talking before thinking. WAP you seem to be one of them
😂. Even the ABLP supporters have accepted the fact that GB is the biggest liar in Antigua politics.
That’s how far we have come folks..smdh.
They are not even defending the notion that he is the biggest liar by shouting from the roof tops how honest of a man he is, just imagine.
That ship has already sailed folks..they have lost the damn city..Gotham has been lost to the thieves..
😂..
No morality have been left in this place..waw!
@WAP: I HAVE A RECORDING OF THE LEADER OF THE ABLP.HE DID SAY. HE HAD VOTERS TRANSFERRED FROM HIS CONSTITUENCY INTO OTHER CONSTITUENCIES TO HELP HIS FELLOW TEAM MEMBERS WIN THEIR SEATS.YES, GB IS A DAMN LIAR.IF LIE DID SEE GB COMING ITS WAY.IT WOULD RUN LIKE HELL TO DEVILS BRIDGE,JUMPED OVER.THEN SWIM ITS ARSE ACROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN TO WESTERN EUROPE.
And another MAGA cult like thinker. You UPP supporters refuse to accept the fact y’all lost the 2023 elections. Y’all lost!! Y’all keep saying the election was stolen but to this day not one shred of proof expect for the words of Gaston Browne whom y’all religiously call a liar. UPP lost the election and its a fact and despite all the comments made on here y’all going to lose this by election call y’all delusional and refuse to accept reality.
UPP did not lost that last election. Some shenanigans did take place in City East constituency that causes Harold Lovel to loose that seat.
So your assumption that the 2023 election was not stolen is completely false.
@WAP, please forgive me for being so pedantic about your use of the word “y’all”. You’ve used it around Half-a-dozen times in your last commentary about UPP losing the last election.
Please enlighten me about YOUR word “y’all”. How did you come across it, because I can’t find it anywhere in my Concise Dictionary, or even my book on Superior Words.
Did you come across it in a children’s dictionary? A comic? Or worse, a mek you mek it up?
Any how it go, it’s nice to know that your mindset is at the same level of the other ABLP neanderthals on these ANR threads. This pleases no end, believe me!
I’d love someone to organise some sort of quiz show or IQ competition between ABLP and UPP supporters throughout the country.
I could do with a damn good belly laugh 🤣
@ Wap, the Labour Party is famous for tampering with elections from since the days of V. C. BIRD. I used to work for a certain Newspaper and I was told by a woman, now deceased that she and certain of her friends from St. John’s Cuty South after voting in their Constituency used to be transported to 3 other Constiuencies yo cast votes. Sometime ago I sent this to ANR and they refused to publish it
This is telling me that Gaston is going to transfer people into st Phillips north to win the election, and ABEC is in on it so they creating the atmosphere that it’s all fair game with a transparent ballot box, but that’s a facade because people are going to be voting in st Phillips north that doesn’t live there, people are flown in by ALP providing their tickets and money.
Predictable responses. It just go to show most of these comments are from 1 person. UPP bots are really trying to sell the story the 2023 election was stolen from them and the only proof they have is the words of Gaston Browne the biggest liar in the world. You can’t make this ish up. Y’all really more DELUSIONAL than DJT and MAGA!!!!! I’m out makes no sense to arguing with a not who has other nothing else to do except to hit the refresh icon.
I hear you @ ⌚️, but wouldn’t the ABLP look rather foolish by attempting any foul play or underhand moves, especially with the country now watching their every move in regards to this by-election in St Phillip’s North on the 16th of March?
Mind you I wouldn’t rule anything out by them 🤬
The people of this country doesn’t seem to take life very serious at least the majority. The ALP/ABLP is like a diseased animal that cannot be cured. Cheating is just a part of its DNA, even in a constituency that they cannot lose they will still cheat just because they can. They cannot help themselves, and we the people are between a Rock and a Hard Place which is the Electoral Commission because they seem to work for the Administration and not on behalf of the people who pay their salaries
@WAP.
That’s just it isn’t it?
All of us who are opposed to corruption in politics, the very engine that runs and dictates to the general public, are with once voice in this rampant corruption in our tiny beautiful island. For over 50 years, that corruption that has been ignored has not established a solid foundation for the Antiguan people.
That corruption has cause major headaches, in the likes of us getting black listed for the Allen Sanford reign of deceit across the land,the Alpha Nero mess, the Africans who were lied to and were use as mules for political gain, (some even loosing their lives at sea) selling out almost our entire ownership of LIAT to a corrupt Nigerian, our corrupt and pourous CIP program, getting black listed by the US and our Visa privileges drastically reduced by them, the Canadians and now soon to be the European nations.
And don’t mention the coverup of over $15mil in car thief right under these people’s noses.
So yes, we are fed up and are with one voice, whether it’s a “bot” voice or a humans, we are all damn fed up of the corruption all across our tiny island..it has only gotten us major headaches after headaches, that’s it.
So sit there and talk your nonsense, because it’s time to get rid of the leadership of this country, plain and simple. Term limits must be implemented in the Caribbean, too many of these greedy fools have pocketed too much off their political corruption, too many.
RANDY BALTIMORE all the way 🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩
For the last time bots where is the evidence that the 2023 elections were “stolen” and when I say evidence I want real evidence not the words of Gaston Browne the liar. Real evidence of voter irregularities. 3 and half years later in this modern time where tech is at our fingers none of you GB fanatics can produce the EVIDENCE of the elections being stolen except for that Gaston Browne the liar said so. Miss me with the BS please. Y’all need to get off the internet and go touch some grass.
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