General Elections in the Cayman Islands are scheduled to take place exactly one year from today (Tuesday, 24 May 2016).

The 24 May 2017 elections are expected to usher in major changes to the Cayman Islands, as for the first time 19 single member electoral districts (constituencies) will each elect one Member to the Legislative Assembly (MLAs).

Major events scheduled for the lead up to the elections will begin with the dissolution of the current LA on Tuesday, 28 March 2017. That day, the Governor will also issue the scheduled proclamation declaring General Elections, Supervisor of Elections Wesley Howell said.

The following day, Wednesday 29 March 2017, is scheduled to be Nominations Day when all persons who wish to contest the General Elections must be nominated as candidates. Without this critical step, they will be ineligible for candidacy.

After vetting is complete, the 19 Returning Officers, who are the officials who oversee the elections process in each constituency, will announce the list of nominated candidates on Friday, 31 March 2017 by releasing the Notice of Contested Elections.

On 1 April 2017, the second quarter 2017 Register of Electors comes into force.

“To ensure that all eligible persons who wish to vote are on the list, I encourage them to check whether they are now included in the register. It will be updated every quarter until the 1 April 2017 list, which will be the last update prior to the elections,” advised Supervisor Howell. The registration deadline to get on the 1 April list is 31 December 2016.

For more information about the General Elections, the process, registration and electoral boundaries, visit www.elections.ky.