A multi-stakeholder working group that will oversee electoral reform on the island will be appointed imminently, the Minister of the Cabinet Office and Digital Innovation said today.

Diallo Rabain noted that the original target of March 30 for establishing the cohort had passed but insisted that formal appointments could be made “with a stronger foundation” than there would have been if the set-up was announced to meet a date.

However, he did not provide a probable date for when the group will launch.

Mr Rabain said: “Certainly we will have another announcement to say ‘these are the people who have been appointed’.

“We do have to wait until people actually agree … that they wish to be a part of this.

“I plan to give a very aggressive agenda to them in terms of getting the work done.

“It will not be one of those groups that meet every couple weeks … the expectation would be for them meeting several times a week.”

The group will include representation from the Parliamentary Registry Office, the Government and the Opposition as well as young Bermudians.

Mr Rabain said it will be supported by people with experience in electoral administration, legal and policy development, and technology and data.

He said its composition was “intentional” and anticipated that the group will be made up of between five and ten members.

Mr Rabain said: “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.”

Mr Rabain said the group is expected to complete its core review within four to six weeks.

He said he was confident that the group will complete its work in time for the tabling of legislation will take place in September.

Its work will involve reviewing proposals across four reform areas and provide recommendations on implementation.

They include voter access and registration, election day processes and administration, campaign and election finance as well as governance and oversight.

Mr Rabain said the public has consistently raised concerns on multiple electoral-related matters including absentee voting, voter roll accuracy, campaign finance transparency, polling station consistency and confidence in election oversight.

Feedback through a series of public engagements including town hall meetings has been valuable, he added.

The minister said: “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.”

Mr Rabain said the results of surveys issued by the ministry last month to party members and candidates from the General Election last year were being incorporated into the material that will be provided to the working group.

Among the group’s mandate is the issue of absentee voting and expected safeguards.

Mr Rabain said: “It is critically important that the system remains trustworthy and the integrity of the system is kept in place.”

He added that security was “of utmost importance” for absentee voting to be drawn into the island’s electoral process.

Mr Rabain said the entities with which the ministry has held discussions spoke to a number of security measures such as facial recognition and multiple factors of authentication.

This week, a delegation from Bermuda was sent to The Bahamas to observe its General Election and electoral practices.

Mr Rabain said: “That visit provided useful lessons for Bermuda, particularly in voter verification, overseas voting and campaign finance reform.

“The Bahamas is moving towards biometric voter identification, digital voter records and electronic poll books, with greater emphasis placed on identification numbers linked to voter cards, passports and drivers’ 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.”

He said the team also reviewed overseas voting arrangements and the role of the parliamentary registration department.

The group paid particular attention to 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,” Mr Rabain said.