CLICK HERE TO APPLY TO BE TREATED AS A SPECIAL ELECTOR
In accordance with Election Rule 59 of the Representation of the People Act, Chapter 2:01, an elector is eligible to be trated as a special elector if he is :
(a) a member of the Police Service, of the Special Reserve police established under the Special Reserve police Act, or of the Estate police established under the Supplemental police Act;
(b) a member of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force;
(ba) a member of the Prison Service;
(c) a member of the Commission, the Chief Election Officer, the Deputy Chief Election Officer, and the Assistant Chief Election Officer;
(d) the Returning Officer of an electoral district other than that in which he is registered for the purposes of the election;
(e) a Presiding Officer, a Deputy Presiding Officer or a Poll Clerk;
(f) a Polling Agent;
(g) a candidate or the husband or wife of a candidate for an electoral district other than that in which he is registered for the purposes of the election;
(h) an election agent or sub-agent who is registered for the purposes of the election in an electoral district other than that of his candidate;
(i) unable or likely to be unable to go in person to the polling station at which he is entitled to vote unless he travels between Trinidad and Tobago;
(j) unable or likely to be unable to go in person to the polling station at which he is entitled to vote by reason of being-
- a patient in a public hospital, or in a private hospital approved by the Commission, or an inmate in a public institution; or
- a prisoner within the meaning of that expression in section 2 of the Prisons Act.
(k) a member of the flight crew of an aircraft;
(l) a person engaged in offshore petroleum operations, or any other person or member of any other organisation as the Commission sees fit.
You can apply to be treated as a Special Elector HERE
Between the date of publication of an Election Notice and Nomination Day, eligible persons desirous of being considered as special electors, apply to be treated as such to the Returning Officer of the electoral district, in which they are registered.
With respect to members of the Police Service, Special Reserve Police, Estate Police and the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force, permission to be treated as special electors in accordance with Election Rule 62(3) of hte Representation of the People Act, Chapter 2:01 “… may be granted for an indefinite period but, where such an application is so granted the applicant shall cease to be entitled to be treated as a special elector (…) if he (or she) ceases to serve in the Police Service or as a member of the Special Reserve Police Service or of the Estate Police Service or of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force.”
Returning Officers keep a record of their lists of special electors and addresses. These lists must be completed not later than three days after Nomination Day.
Election Rule 62(6) states:
“Not later than two days after the list of special electors has been prepared the Returning Officer shall publish it by making a copy thereof available for inspection at his office and shall cause a copy thereof to be delivered to the Chief Election Officer and to the Registration Officers of the registration units in which the said special electors are registered for the purposes of the election.”
The Returning Officer shall make a copy of the record of special electors available for inspection at his office.
As soon as practicable after the preparation of the list of special electors, the Returning Officer shall, on request, supply to each candidate or his election agent a copy of the list.
A Registration Officer on receiving a list of special electors under subrule (6) shall delete the names of any such electors from the relevant revised lists of electors.
The Registration Officer on receipt of the list of special electors from the Returning Officer shall remove the registration records of such electors from the register and shall place them in alphabetical order according to surnames in a binder; and the records shall be the register of special electors for such electoral district.