Bermudians living abroad should be able to cast votes in the island’s elections, members of the public declared yesterday.

The Royal Gazette took to the streets of Hamilton to gauge public opinion ahead of next month’s General Election.

Nursing assistant Greg Simons was surprised when David Burt called an election this week, but said the Premier “had his reasons” for doing so and was letting the people have their say.

The 66-year-old Sandys resident added that the inclusion of the Free Democratic Movement and independent candidates had changed politics in Bermuda, and called for further changes.

He explained: “You should have an election where the top two are chosen and then you decide in another election it could be the One Bermuda Alliance or one of the others, then you have Bermuda vote for those two.”

Mr Simons believed that allowing students and other Bermudian non-residents to vote by mail, as is the case in Britain and the United States, “makes things more interesting”.

Dylan Young, 27, called for the Government to allow votes to be mailed in from overseas.

The Devonshire resident said: “The people most impacted by [the lack of absentee voting] are not 30 and 40-year-olds, but students, young people.”

Other young people feel this frustration and were “profoundly disappointed” that the election will take place when so many students are overseas.

Mr Young, who works at a service station, thinks the Progressive Labour Party will retain power unless the OBA “does something for the people”.

He explained: “Over the years, it’s always been Black or White, so in a majority-Black country, a lot of people are going to vote for the PLP.

“If we’re able to see the OBA offer something a little bit different that’s about helping the country and not just lining government pockets, than you might see a swing.”

Former PLP candidate Makai Dickerson expected the election to be called soon, but “not necessarily in February”.

The 43-year-old, who works at the Front Yard, believes absentee ballots are long overdue and is curious to see who will run in his constituency of Pembroke South East.

Taxi driver Barry DeSilva was not surprised by the election announcement, saying: “I’ve gotten an increase in my pension [under the PLP], so I appreciate that from them, but I can’t see the OBA doing any better.”

Similar to others, the 69-year-old Paget resident saw no problem with absentee ballots on the island — something a voter who wished to remain anonymous said they had been advocating for decades.

The voter, who said they tried to be politically neutral, did not yet know who will earn their vote on February 18.

A woman who also wished to remain anonymous said Mr Burt was “very smart and strategic” for calling an election, but admitted she had not thought much more about it.

She said: “There is so much turbulence going on in the world and a lot of turbulence everywhere — I’ve been praying for our leaders, which is what the Bible calls for us to do, and praying for the world.”