Where will you vote in the next election? Right now, nobody can be quite sure, but one thing we can tell you is that it might not be where you voted in the last election.
7NEWS has obtained an advance copy of the final report on boundary redistricting, and, as expected, it shows major changes, particularly in the Belize District's 13 constituencies. The attempt was to try and divide the constituencies as evenly as possible among its 44,233 voters. That meant big changes for micro divisions such as the Pickstock, Mesopotamia and Fort George divisions, which all had just about 2,000 voters. Well the proposal states that the biggest changes are expected for Mesop which would add 1,025 voters, Fort George which would add 938 and Pickstock which would add 1,062. While those area representatives will have more stress, those getting a big ease will be Cordel Hyde whose Lake Independence division would lose 2,629 voters, much of it to Pickstock, which would now cross the river and Boots Martinez, whose Port Loyola would lose 2,432 voters.
Nationally, the biggest change proposed is in Cayo North which would lose 2,230 voters, and Cayo South which would lose 4,304 voters to two newly created divisions.
While those are the broad numbers, the devil, as always, is in the details and, in this case, that means determining how the polling areas will be switched around to balance things off. The polling areas are significant because invariably politicians shore up strength and for that matter safe houses in one polling area and if that is moved from their constituency and swapped for another, it swaps an area of foundation strength for possible weakness while also losing years of servicing faithful constituents.
Presently, the political parties are reviewing what we stress are proposals and these will be hammered out at the Election and Boundaries Commission. With due respect to 1998's re-registration, this boundary re-districting is the single most important political exercise in 20 years, going back to 1984 when 10 news seats were added.
Area Now Proposed Change Pickstock 2018 3080 +1062 Fort George 2068 3006 +938 Mesop. 2144 3169 +1025 Port Loyola 5783 3351 -2432 Cayo South 8813 4509 -4304 New Division 0 3864 3864 Belmopan 0 4304 4304