Kittitian professor of political science at A&M University in Florida, Professor Keith Simmons, has expressed strong support for the preservation of voting rights for citizens living abroad. In an article published on winnfm.com, the professor offers three reasons for his position:
1. That overseas voting is continually increasing among nations with at least 115 nations allowing some form of voting for their overseas citizens.
2. That family remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean grew by eight percent from 2016-2017, accounting for a total of US$75 billion. He says another report places St Kitts at number nine in the top ten Caribbean countries receiving remittances, with a total of US$55 million.
3. And, voting rights are still a meaningful way to keep members of the Diaspora feeling substantively connected to their roots and there are long established best practices associated with overseas voting to ensure credible overseas voting.
Simmons offered three possible scenarios for consideration:
1) For citizens returning home to vote – a continuous residency period of three months prior to Nomination Day. This will also apply to the children of Kittitian and Nevisian parents resident abroad
2) Remaining overseas but voting in the election – vote for the party of your choice on your island. That method proposes that each island becomes a single constituency ( a district-at-large)
3) Remaining overseas but voting in the election – vote for a candidate of your choice in his or her chosen territory using the same single constituency concept.