14 May, 2026

Good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining me today.

I want to provide the public with an update on the Government’s work on Comprehensive Electoral Reform, particularly where we are now, what work has been done, and what comes next.

Electoral reform is about strengthening public confidence in Bermuda’s democracy. It is about improving access to voting, ensuring elections continue to run fairly and consistently, bringing transparency to campaign and election finance, and making sure the institutions responsible for our elections are equipped for the future.

This work is being led through my Ministry, in consultation with the Parliamentary Registrar and other stakeholders, and it is organised around four key areas:

• Voter Access and Registration,

• Election Day Processes and Administration,

• Campaign and Election Finance, and

• Governance and Oversight.

From the beginning, I have said that this work must be practical. We are focused on reforms that work in the real conditions of a Bermuda election, reforms that improve access while protecting integrity and public confidence. 

Since late 2025, we have carried out public engagement across Bermuda through town halls, youth sessions, radio programmes, online discussions, and written submissions.

The public has consistently raised concerns about absentee voting, voter roll accuracy, campaign finance transparency, polling station consistency, and confidence in election oversight.

That feedback has been valuable. It confirmed that electoral reform cannot be treated as one issue in isolation. It must be handled as a connected system, and the views shared by the public have strengthened the direction we are taking.

We also sent an observer delegation to The Bahamas this past week to observe its General Election and examine its electoral practices first hand.

That visit provided useful lessons for Bermuda, particularly in voter verification, overseas voting, and campaign finance reform. The Bahamas is moving toward biometric voter identification, digital voter records, and electronic poll books, with greater emphasis placed on identification numbers linked to voter cards, passports, and driver’s licences rather than relying primarily on name and date of birth. This offers Bermuda a practical comparison as we consider strengthening voter verification and improving consistency at polling stations.

The delegation also reviewed overseas voting arrangements and the role of the Parliamentary Registration Department, particularly the importance of institutional independence, operational capacity, and public confidence in electoral administration. 

What we saw in The Bahamas, together with the feedback we have received here at home, has helped us better understand what reforms are practical, what challenges must be addressed, and where Bermuda should focus next as this work moves forward.

As I advised the House of Assembly earlier this year, the Ministry completed the Terms of Reference for the Electoral Reform Working Group and began preparations for appointments.

I can now confirm that we are at the stage where the Electoral Reform Working Group can be formally appointed. This is a major milestone. 

As the reform work progressed, additional technical and policy preparation was completed before moving to formal appointments. That included continued consultation work, operational review, and specialised policy support relating to campaign and election finance reform.

Discussions further reinforced the need for stronger campaign finance rules, particularly around donation transparency, expenditure reporting, foreign linked contributions, and enforcement. These lessons, alongside our wider review of electoral practices across the Caribbean, will help shape reforms that are practical, secure, and suited to Bermuda’s own constitutional and local context.

On April 1, the Ministry also issued election experience surveys to Members and candidates from the 2025 General Election. That survey was designed to gather direct feedback from those who experienced the last election as candidates, campaigners, and elected representatives.

That information is now being incorporated into the material that will be provided to the Working Group.

This matters because the Working Group should not begin with theory alone. It should have the benefit of public feedback, candidate experience, operational realities, and policy research.

One of the most important areas requiring further work has been campaign and election finance.

At present, Bermuda does not have a modern, comprehensive campaign finance framework. There are no comprehensive rules for campaign donation disclosure, spending limits, campaign finance reporting, or formal oversight of political financing.

That is a significant gap.

Any modern electoral reform package must address that gap carefully. It must also consider Bermuda’s wider obligations around financial integrity, transparency, and public trust.

That is why specialised policy support on campaign and election finance has been brought into the process. That work has now commenced, and it will support the Working Group’s review.

The role of the Working Group is critical. 

It is not a political committee, and it is not there to delay reform. Its role is to properly examine and test proposals before legislation is drafted and brought to Parliament.

The Group will ask the important questions.

• Can this work in Bermuda?

• Can the Parliamentary Registrar administer it effectively?

• Can it be enforced fairly?

• Will the public trust the system?

• Will it improve access without weakening integrity?

Those are the questions that must be answered before laws are written.

The Working Group will include representation from the Parliamentary Registrar’s Office, Government, the Opposition, and young Bermudians, and will be supported by people with experience in electoral administration, legal and policy development, and technology and data.

This is intentional.

Electoral reform should never be approached through a narrow political lens. It requires technical expertise, institutional knowledge, and public confidence.

The Group will review key issues, including absentee voting options with a focus on students studying overseas, campaign finance regulation, polling station consistency, voter registration processes, and the broader question of whether Bermuda should strengthen the Parliamentary Registrar’s Office or establish a purpose-built Electoral Commission.

Where necessary, the Group will also support practical testing. That may include mock election exercises or controlled simulations of proposed processes.

If we are considering new absentee voting systems, new polling station procedures, or new oversight rules, we should test how they would work before they become law.

Now let me speak to the timeline.

The original target was to have the Working Group formed by March 30. That date has passed. I understand that the public expects timelines to be met, and that expectation is fair. But I also want to be clear: the work did not stop.

The Ministry continued research, consultation, operational review, survey work, and campaign finance preparation. We are now moving to formal appointments with a stronger foundation than we would have had if the Group had simply been announced to meet a date.

I would rather be transparent about taking a little more time than create a Working Group without the proper material to guide its work.

Once appointed, the Group is expected to complete its core review within four to six weeks. During that time, it will review proposals across all four reform areas and provide recommendations on implementation.

Our target remains unchanged.

The Government remains committed to bringing the necessary legislation to the House of Assembly in September 2026.

The goal is not speed for its own sake. The goal is to ensure that when legislation comes before Parliament, it is strong, workable, enforceable, and capable of strengthening Bermuda’s democracy for the long term.

This work matters.

• We are listening.
• We are reviewing.
• We are testing.
• And we are preparing reforms that are intended to last.

The appointment of the Electoral Reform Working Group marks the next major step in that process.

I will continue to keep the public informed as this work progresses.

Electoral reform is too important to approach carelessly or politically. Our responsibility is to get it right, protect public confidence, and strengthen Bermuda’s democracy for the future.

Thank you.