The Belize Elections and Boundaries Department is the hands-on administrator of Belizean electoral politics. It was established in 1989 as a subordinate to the Elections and Boundaries Commission.
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As articulated by the EBD itself: "The Elections and Boundaries Department is committed to the enhancement of democracy through the promotion of voter education and the maintenance of a legitimate, impartial, valid electoral process."
The EBD was established by amendment to the Belize Constitution in 1988. The new amendment allowed the EBD's parent body, the EBC, to confer on it its powers in the constitution and the ROPA. Staffing the Department was delegated to the Public Services Commission, which nominated all persons in the department including, after a further amendment in 2001, the Chief Elections Officer. The Department and Chief Elections Officer is now under the control of the Prime Minister's Office and reports to him as well as the Commission.
The current Chief Elections Officer is Dorothy Bradley, who succeeded Stuart Leslie in December 2006.
The functions of the Department are grouped into three categories: Electoral Administration, Adjustment of Electoral Records, and Voter Education. Under these are the following:
The EBD's central office is located in Belize City, the municipality with the largest concentration of voters in the country, at P.O. Box 913, Mahogany Street Extension. Other offices include:
The offices are staffed with Registering Officers, Assistant Registering Officers, and Data Clerks to take care of the process of registering to vote.
Only registered voters have the right to elect Political Leaders at the National and Municipal level. Who is eligible to register to vote? Every person who is: 18 years or over, A citizen of: Belize, Any Commonwealth Country who has resided in Belize for not less than 12 months, or Any Commonwealth Country who is domiciled in Belize, AND Resident in the electoral division not less than 2 months.
Visit the Registration Office of Elections and Boundaries Department in your Area. Twelve District Offices countrywide are manned by Registration Officers.
The persons objected to, are informed by registered mail and their names are published in one newspaper and the Government Gazette
The process of registration is continuous and it is conducted every working day. The process for a month is closed on the 10th in order to prepare the Temporary or Supplementary List for the 15th as required by law. The Monthly Cycle is from the 11th of one month to the 10th of the other, for example:
August - 11 July to the 10th of August July - 11 June to the 10th of July
If a person applies on or before the 10th June, the process will be completed with June's Revision Court at the end of June. If a person applies on the 11th of June or later, the process will be completed with July's Revision Court at the end of July. A Revised List is posted in all Registration Offices on or before the 5th of the month or immedialty after Revision Court. Copies of all monthly transactions are shared with the two major Political Parties.
The monthly Revision is held at the Magistrate Courts in all five District Towns and the Cities of Belmopan and Belize. Each Revision Court session is presided over by a Magistrate at the end of every month. The Court has until the 5th day of the following month to complete its determination of all matters.
Registration Officers and or the Chief Elections Officer based on the legal requirements and the schedule of each Magistrate.
All references are to the website of the Elections and Boundaries Department (see External link).