The public were involved last night in the first of many planned dialogues with the Cabinet Office minister about electoral reform.

The Ministry of the Cabinet Office and Digital Innovation held a town hall at Harrington Workmen’s Club in Smith’s, where about 25 people attended.

Diallo Rabain, the Minister of the Cabinet Office and Digital Innovation, said the meeting was an opportunity to outline the Government’s goals while taking feedback form the public.

He added: “Our democracy belongs to the people of Bermuda. It works when voters feel that they can cast their votes freely, fairly and full of confidence that the process is managed by an independent office and not by a politician.”

The town hall came ahead of the planned changes to the electoral system announced on the Progressive Labour Party’s platform during its electoral run in February.

Mr Rabain previously stated that he hoped to enact electoral reform, which would include absentee voting for Bermudians overseas, by next September.

Mr Rabain said that statistics from the 2025 General Election had a turnout of about 55 per cent of eligible voters, with 295 of those votes, or about 1.2 per cent, being rejected.

He added that 3,148 voters took part in advanced voting, while another 188 benefited from assisted voting.

Mr Rabain said that this data reflected both a reliance on unconventional access to voting and a need for better access to voting.

He said that electoral reform would involve changing the way voters registered, election days were conducted and campaigns were regulated.

The minister explained that several goals included the creation of a clear “playbook” for polling station conduct, updating campaign finance rules, improving public understanding of the election process and setting stronger oversight.

Some of these goals, he added, would further include public reporting of significant donations to political parties and spending.

Mr Rabain said that the Cabinet Office had studied different electoral systems since May for guidance and spoke with several Bermudian students overseas.

He added that his ministry had turned to the Parliamentary Registrar for guidance and worked with the Opposition and civil society groups for a decision.

Mr Rabain said: “Our view is that, if we’re going to make changes, we should do it in a way that protects the independence of our elections, strengthens trust and holds up no matter who’s in government or is the Opposition.”

During a question-and-answer period, Mr Rabain explained that discussions around absentee voting often focused on eligible students abroad because that demographic was “the nearest threshold to actually attack first”.

He added: “Conversations around expanding the voting to other persons that live overseas will take part as we involve these conversations as we move forward.”

Mr Rabain told the meeting: “I anticipate that from the conversations we have, that we will probably go slightly further than just students but we have to have a starting point on how that starts.”

Attendees questioned which students were eligible for voting, how long they could be off-island before and after school to still qualify and how they would register addresses to vote.

They further asked if there would be age limits for being a “student voter” and which factors, such as a criminal record, would prevent people from campaigning.

Attendees also called for more literacy around the voting process and awareness of their rights and procedures.

Mr Rabain called eligibility “the biggest unknown,” adding: “It’s not something we can work out overnight.”

However, he assured attendees that these questions were being discussed by his ministry.

Mr Rabain said that he hoped to establish a working group to offer input and continue holding consultations as draft reforms were developed.

He later said that he hoped to host at least five more town hall meetings across the island by mid-February, with a full schedule being announced in December.

Opposition MP Dwayne Robinson introduced the Absentee Voting Act 2025 in the House of Assembly in September as a way to “start the clock” on the decision.

The legislation was aimed at Bermudian voters who would be temporarily overseas during an election, such as those on work secondments or receiving medical treatment.

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of the Cabinet Office and Digital Innovation later said that the Government was working on absentee voting and electoral reform as a whole.

In November, Mr Rabain wrote a request to Opposition leader Robert King to withdraw the Bill, but he refused.

Mr Rabain said last night that he would continue to work with the Opposition around this legislation.

He added: “This type of conversation we have is not political or party-driven — this is people-driven.

“We need to find a way to be as bipartisan about this as possible.”

UPDATE: this article has been amended to show that the minister said talks about expanding absentee voting beyond students to other Bermudians who live overseas will take place as the matter progresses. He did not say that all Bermudians abroad would be eligible for absentee voting, as this article earlier stated