Election Process in the B a ha mas

1. Election Process in the Bahamas By : RONNEICE HOPKINS 9F1

2. Vocabulary Terms Constituency Political parties Election Gerrymandering Rallies Campaign

3. What is a POLITICAL PARTY POLITICAL PARTY is a group of people who have come together to try and run the country the way they think is best.

4. POLITICAL PARTIES • The first formal party was the PROGRESSIVE LIBERAL PARTY(PLP) • It was formed in 1953 by a non white Bahamian. • In the Bahamas the two major parties are the FREE NATIONAL MOVEMENT (FNM) and the PROGRESSIVELIBERALPARTY (PLP). • Individuals not willing to become a part of any party could present themselves as an independent Candidate.

5. WHAT IS A CONSTITUENCY • A constituency is the voting areas in which the country is divided. • These areas are defined by parliament.

6. WHAT IS A ELECTION An Election is when people choose or vote for their leader or representative.

7. COMPARISON OF ELECTIONS General Election By Election • General Election is election of members of the house of assembly held in all areas of the country every five years if the prime minister request . • By Election is an election held in a single constituency if the member of that constituency dies or if there is a tie result in a general election.

8. Campaigning for elections • In an election campaign, every constituency has meetings or rallies at which candidates tell the people about their party policies and their plans for the future. • They tell you what they will do if they get elected . • The different candidates have posters to advertise themselves and try to influence people to vote for them. • There are also radio an television broadcasts , and newspaper and articles , in which the candidates and the political parties set out their policies.

9. Election day • On election day the sale of alcohol is banned to make sure that every voter thinks clearly before voting. • Schools , church halls and other public buildings are use as polling stations , where people go to vote. • At the polling station each voter show his or her voter’s card , which is proof of registration , and the voters name is crossed off the voter’s list. • This is to ensure that every voter only vote once. • The voter is given a special ballot , dips his or her thumb in the indelible ink and enters the polling booth. • There, the voter marks an, X on the ballot beside the name.