WILLEMSTAD - As Curaçao prepares for its parliamentary elections on Friday, March 21, strict rules have been put in place to ensure the integrity and fairness of the voting process. Only individuals with the legal right to vote will be permitted to enter the voting booths, and no one else will be allowed access, according to Sheryl Losiabaar, secretary of the Electoral Council.
Losiabaar clarified that parents voting with babies or young children must leave their child outside the voting booth. Children who do not have the right to vote are not allowed inside, as it is prohibited by law. Similarly, caregivers assisting elderly individuals are not allowed inside the voting booth. This includes situations where an elderly person is accompanied by a grandchild to the polling station.
There are only two categories of voters eligible to receive assistance in the voting booth: individuals who are blind and those who cannot use their hands. The head of the polling station will ask these voters if they truly require assistance from their helper.
Losiabaar also emphasized that these rules apply to all politicians. Whether a politician is a party leader or not, they are prohibited from bringing a child without voting rights into the booth. Additionally, no photographers are allowed to accompany voters inside the booth to take pictures. The polling station’s head has been given strict instructions to ensure these regulations are adhered to.
These measures are part of an effort to ensure transparency and uphold the democratic process in the upcoming elections.