NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Minister of National Security Marvin Dames suggested yesterday that individuals who are COVID-19-positive or who have been placed in quarantine will not be able to vote at the September 16 polls.

Dames, who has responsibility for elections, was responding to questions outside Cabinet on how the government intends to deal with COVID-exposed voters.

“Quarantine is quarantine,” he said.

“If someone has COVID and they are quarantined, they are quarantined for a reason.

“You have people who are incarcerated on Election Day, you have people who are hospitalized on Election Day, you have people who are out of the country on Election Day and they may be registered voters and they can’t vote because of the circumstances.”

Pressed on the matter, Dames asked: “Would you like a COVID-positive voter next to you? What does quarantine mean?”

Health officials confirmed 129 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, taking the total number of confirmed cases in The Bahamas to 18,268 with 3,093 active cases.

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