15 Independence referendum.

How many people will be off the Island from the first advance poll on July 25 until the referendum on August 15 is not known, but one reader predicts that disenfranchised voters will number in the hundreds.

A British Airways spokesman confirmed yesterday that the advance polls and referendum come during the peak summer travel period for families flying to the United Kingdom and Europe.

The Pembroke man, who wrote to the Editor of The Royal Gazette under a pen name, said he and many others had taken advantage of "very favourable excursion fares,'' offered by BA. Editorial: Page 4 .

"Voting in this referendum is of the utmost importance to all registered voters and all should be able to have their say,'' he said.

"The outcome will have long lasting effects on every man, woman and child. Is there some way in which we could cast our votes in front of a notary public and have it witnessed and sealed? "We could all produce our passports and tickets to prove we were bona fide travellers. My ticket is not transferable and neither can I afford to return to cast my vote.'' Bermuda has no system of absentee balloting, and Deputy Premier the Hon.

Irving Pearman earlier said no such plan was being considered for the referendum.

Yesterday, a BA spokesman said the referendum period is "traditionally our peak season.

"That's the reason we've just added our fourth flight,'' the spokesman said.

"It's obviously the time when families travel, because children are home from school.'' The average family stay was two to four weeks.

Earlier this year, BA offered a special $708 fare for travel during that period, provided the traveller was staying between one week and 60 days.

"Many people would have purchased those special fares,'' which represent a savings of about $200 off the regular price.

The spokesman also confirmed that BA had received inquiries from "two or three people'' about changing travel dates in response to the recently-announced voting dates.

Those who wanted to change their departure dates could upgrade their tickets to a higher fare, while those who wanted to change their returns would have to pay a penalty of $100.