The Government’s Chief of Staff, Ambassador Lionel Hurst, has pushed back against what he described as “deliberate misinformation” surrounding the powers of the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission (ABEC), particularly claims that the body can arbitrarily remove voters from the electoral roll.
Speaking on Pointe FM over the weekend, Hurst stated that the Commission operates under strict legal procedures and cannot strike names from the register without concrete documentation.
“The Commission cannot remove electors at will. There’s a legal process,” Hurst said.
He explained that only electors who have died can be removed from the voters’ list unilaterally by ABEC, and even then, only upon receipt of verifiable documentation, including a death certificate from the civil registry and funeral programmes collected by Commission representatives.
Hurst claimed that despite this well-established process, a lawyer associated with one political faction continues to mislead the public by suggesting that ABEC has broad powers to remove names at its discretion.
“This lawyer intentionally spreads false information about the Commission’s authority,” Hurst said, describing the narrative as both “bothersome” and damaging to public trust.
In outlining the safeguards built into the electoral process, he noted that daily registration records are monitored by party-appointed scrutineers. Any disputes over eligibility must be addressed through a “claim and objection” process and can be escalated from the registration officer to ABEC, and ultimately to the High Court if necessary.
Hurst, who previously served on the Commission, also recalled his own removal from the body, which he attributed to political double standards under former Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer. He said he was dismissed for engaging in political activity while serving on the Commission—activity that had been tolerated when done by others on the opposing side.
“What I did was no different than what Bruce Goodwin did while on the Commission. Yet, I was thrown off,” he recounted.
The issue of electoral integrity remains a sensitive one in Antigua and Barbuda, particularly as the next general elections draw closer. Hurst’s remarks are likely to stir further debate on the role of oversight, the balance of political influence, and the mechanisms that underpin democratic participation.
ABEC’s latest report confirms that there are just over 61,000 registered electors in Antigua. Hurst noted that maintaining confidence in that list is critical to the country’s democratic legitimacy.