Cayman Islands
- Boundary Delimitation
- Direct Democracy
- Electoral Management
- Electoral Systems
- Legislative Framework
- Media and Elections
- Parties and Candidates
- Vote Counting
- Voter Education
- Voting Operations
- Voter Registration
Boundary Delimitation
BD01 Are constituencies delimited for election purposes?
a. Yes
Source: Election law of 2004, art. 5
Last updated: 2007-02-12 09:14:14 UTC
BD03 On what criteria are the boundaries drawn?
a. "Equality" of population
b. Respecting natural barriers
g. Other
Comments: According to Constitution, section 28B, the Boundary Commission shall, in delimiting the boundaries: (a) take no account of the racial distribution of electors within the Cayman Islands; (b) take account of the natural boundaries within the Cayman Islands; (c) have regard to existing electoral districts; (d) subject to the foregoing provisions of this subsection, ensure that - (i) the electoral constituencies shall contain, so far as is reasonably practicable, equal numbers of persons qualified to be registered as electors, and (ii) Cayman Brac and Little Cayman shall (between these two islands) return at least two members to the Assembly.
Source: Constitution, section 28B
Last updated: 2007-02-12 09:30:30 UTC
Legislative Framework
LF03 The national electoral law covers:
a. National elections
Source: Elections law of 2004
Last updated: 2007-02-12 09:02:45 UTC
LF04 Is voting on the national level voluntary or compulsory?
a. Voting is voluntary
Source: International IDEA Voter Turnout Website (http://www.idea.int/vt/)
Last updated: 2006-11-21 18:19:02 UTC
Media and Elections
ME01 Please provide information about the person completing the questionnaire.
Last updated: 2007-02-12 11:00:53 UTC
ME11 What laws, if any, guarantee freedom of access to public information for representatives of the media?
Last updated: 2007-02-12 11:00:53 UTC
ME13 What are the laws, if any, which govern the operations of the public broadcaster?
Specify the date of the latest version (including latest amendments)
Last updated: 2007-02-12 11:00:53 UTC
ME18 What are the laws, if any, that provide for the safeguards for editorial autonomy in relation to the public broadcaster(s)?
Last updated: 2007-02-12 11:00:53 UTC
ME19 What are the laws, if any, which govern the granting of broadcasting licenses/frequencies to private broadcasters?
Last updated: 2007-02-12 11:00:53 UTC
ME22 What are the legal conditions, if any, under which the activities of a media outlet may be suspended?
Last updated: 2007-02-12 11:00:53 UTC
ME38 What, if any, is the maximum amount that a political party is permitted to spend on paid advertising during a campaign period?
b. The law does not specify any limits on paid advertising X
Comments: The law does not specify any limits on paid advertising. There is, however, a limit on total election expenditures.
Source: Election law of 2004, chapter 5
Last updated: 2007-02-12 11:00:53 UTC
ME55 What, if any, is the maximum amount that a presidential candidate is permitted to spend on paid advertising?
Last updated: 2007-02-12 11:00:53 UTC
ME56 What are the laws, if any, which govern the disclosure of campaign advertising expenditures by political parties and candidates?
Last updated: 2007-02-12 11:00:53 UTC
ME57 What, if any, is the maximum amount that a media outlet can charge parties/candidates for advertising during the campaign?
Last updated: 2007-02-12 11:00:53 UTC
ME58 How does this maximum amount (identified in question C.15.1) affect the political participation of smaller or newly formed parties?
Last updated: 2007-02-12 11:00:53 UTC
Parties and Candidates
PC01 What are the registration requirements for political parties running for national elections (Chamber 1)?
b. Deposit requirement (specify amount)
Comments: b) One thousand dollars
Source: Election law of 2004, art. 32
Last updated: 2007-02-12 10:33:37 UTC
PC03 What are the legal qualifications to become a candidate at legislative elections (Chamber 1)?
a. Age
b. Citizenship
d. Residence
Comments: a) 21 years. d) The candidate shall, at the date of his nomination for election, be domiciled and resident in the islands. Furthermore, the candidate shall have either 1) been born in the islands in the circumstances mentioned in subsection (2)(b) of this section, has resided in the Islands for a period of not less then seven years immediately preceding the date of his nomination for election and, subject to subsections (3) and (4) of this section, the number of days on which he was absent from the islands in that period does not exceed four hundred; or 2) been born outside the Islands, has resided in the Islands for a period of periods amounting to not less than fifteen years out of the twenty years immediately preceding the date of his nomination for election, and in the seven years immediately preceding the date of his nomination for election the number of days on which he was absent from the islands does not exceed four hundred.
Source: The Election Office homepage: http://www.electionsoffice.ky/candidatequali.htm
Last updated: 2007-02-12 10:33:37 UTC
PC08 Can independent candidates compete in presidential or legislative elections?
c. In legislative elections (Chamber 1)
Source: Election law of 2004, art. 65
Last updated: 2007-02-12 10:33:37 UTC
Vote Counting
VC04 Following the close of the voting, where are the votes first sorted and counted?
b. At the polling centre
Source: Elections law of 2004, art. 55, 56
Last updated: 2007-02-12 10:52:08 UTC
VC11 Under what conditions are ballots recounted?
d. By request
Comments: d) A candidate can request a recount of a specific ballot box.
Source: Election law of 2004, art. 56
Last updated: 2007-02-12 10:52:08 UTC
Voting Operations
VO03 Where can electors vote?
a. At a specified polling station in the locality where they are registered at national elections
Source: The Elections Office homepage: http://www.electionsoffice.ky/faq.htm#14.
Last updated: 2007-02-12 10:00:36 UTC
VO04 Who can vote from outside the country?
a. Outside the country voting is not permitted
Source: International IDEA research, January 2007
Last updated: 2007-02-02 09:24:16 UTC
VO05 If voting outside the country is permitted, at what places?
g. Not applicable
Source: International IDEA research, January 2007
Last updated: 2007-02-02 09:24:16 UTC
VO10 Is there a maximum allowable voter capacity of a polling station for the national elections?
Last updated: 2007-02-02 09:24:16 UTC
VO11 How do electors cast their votes?
a. By manually marking the ballot
Source: The Elections Office homepage: http://www.electionsoffice.ky/faq.htm#14.
Last updated: 2007-02-12 10:00:36 UTC
Voter Registration
VR01 What is the legal voting age in the national elections?
c. 18
Comments: 18 years
Source: Constitution, section 2, art. 3
Last updated: 2007-02-12 09:26:33 UTC
VR02 Beyond age, what other qualifications exist for registering to vote and voting in the national elections?
a. Citizenship
b. Period of Residence
e. Other
Comments: b) The voter has been resident in the Cayman Islands for a period or periods amounting to not less than two years out of the four years immediately preceding the relevant date.
Source: Constitution, section 2, art. 3
Last updated: 2007-02-12 09:42:12 UTC
VR04 Which is the authority responsible for the registration of voters for national elections?
c. Local Government Authority
Comments: c) The registering officer in each electoral district.
Source: Election law, art. 12
Last updated: 2007-02-12 09:42:12 UTC
20/05/2008 07:19
