7 News Belize

No Coming Across The Border To Vote
posted (October 16, 2020)
And while there are 1,029 active cases right now - we stress that not all of them are necessarily registered voters, and, of course, that number may increase or decrease in the next few weeks before the election.

And, another set of voters who will not be able to exercise their franchise on November 11th is the group that lives across the land borders, be it in the west, north, or south.

Many see their involvement in elections as a kind of voter fraud - and indeed, in some cases, it may be - but there are also Belizeans who live and work in Mexico and Guatemala and who may legitimately wish to come over to vote.

Well, the PM says for this group as well, it is a no go:

Reporter
"As it relates to persons living across the borders, Belizeans who are registered voters, is there any discussion taking place as to having protocols being set in place to allow these persons to enter the country in spite that the land borders remain closed or is this something that will not be entertained?"

Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"Speaking for myself I don't see how that can happen. These persons would have to come with a PCR negative test? Would they be rapid tested at the border? But some form of quarantine or self-isolation is mandatory for Belizeans that even now are allowed on application made and permission granted come back through the land borders. You're going to scrap that if you're going to say that for those who want to come and vote they can just come across and they do not have to quarantine? If they have to quarantine then they can't go out to vote, because they should be at home. So, really ma'am I again, I understand that it's not a decision that's lightly made in terms of in effect depriving people of their franchise, but these are clearly extreme and unusual circumstances so similarly with the position with people who are already here but are Covid positive. I don't see how Belizeans across the border would be allowed to come in."

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