the Progressive Labour Party told the House of Assembly on Friday.

In reply, the governing United Bermuda Party said the registration system had flaws it wanted to correct, but the alternative presented by the Opposition was worse.

Government was working on a system by which the previous year's registration form would be sent to voters who would only have to mark in needed changes, Labour and Home Affairs Minister the Hon. Irving Pearman said.

Shadow Labour and Home Affairs Minister Mr. Alex Scott , who gave notice of his motion on November 5, moved that: "This House calls on Government to enact legislation governing the Parliamentary Registration of voters whereby a compulsory review of the Registration list would occur every ten years in place of the yearly Registration as is now required under Section 7(1) of the Parliamentary Election Act 1978.'' Mr. Scott said he believed most, if not all voters, "have at one time or another expressed concern about the need to participate in the very burdensome process of annual registration.'' The issue had been debated in the House before, though not recently, he noted.

When canvassing in Warwick in the recent general election campaign, Mr. Scott said he met a young man who was reluctant to register but finally was persuaded to do so.

"He said if the Government of the day...is so strongly set against this idea of my being registered that they make it this difficult for me, it must be good for me,'' Mr. Scott said. "The process is not user friendly.'' The object of registration should be "to qualify the voters, not to disqualify them,'' but that was not what Government did.

As long ago as 1963, the PLP recognised the need to make registration as easy as possible and recommended "automatic voter registration,'' he said.

In the past, there had been a property vote, and the raising of the voting age to 25 from 21 in the 1960s. "This is the background to the system we currently have,'' he said. "The necessity for annual registration is another deterrent.'' Under the present system, voter turnout dropped from a high of 91.2 percent in 1968 to 77 percent in the October 5 election, he said.

Under the Parliamentary Election Act 1978, the requirement to produce identification was a feature of voter qualification, despite the fact the requirement was not grounded in the Constitution, Mr. Scott said. The Constitution said nothing about a voter having to produce identification.

While the Premier spoke of the importance of removing the glass ceiling in the workplace, "this is the ultimate glass ceiling,'' he said.

Even a former MP, Mr. James Pearman, Jr., was once turned away from a polling station because he could not satisfy election officers with the proper identification. The officers acted properly under the law, despite the fact they all "would have known that gentleman,'' he said.

The development of the computer had lessened the need for annual registration.

When the PLP agreed to the present system, the party understood the system used in the United Kingdom would be used in Bermuda, he said. However, "we should always be aware of the fine print,'' and the PLP had assumed the onus would be on Government to canvass and assure registration occurred.

"There was a slip between the cup and the lip,'' he said. Instead, Government was only prepared to have registration through the mail.

In some states in the US, voters could register when they obtained their driver's licence. Australia had mandatory voting. Canada had an approach the PLP recommended, by which voters could register as late as five days before the election.

"The members opposite should not fear this system because it removed the Government of the day,'' Mr. Scott said. "That is going to happen here in any event. It's like Cup Match. It will soon be here.'' The system the PLP recommended would be more attractive to younger voters, many of whom were "turned off by the way the 1993 election was conducted.'' In the recent election, older members of the community "overcame a burdensome antiquated regressive system,'' he said. One 93-year-old man showed up in the rain with a breathing apparatus, was turned away for lack of identification, went to Hamilton to get what was needed, and returned to Warwick in the rain to vote, he said.

"All of us should be concerned about the fact that in this recent election 7,000 plus Bermudians "were registered but did not vote.'' That was because the registration system turned them off, Mr. Scott said. The PLP suggested a review of the electoral register occur every ten years, at the same time the census was done. Not only would it be more convenient, but "this could save this country millions in administrative costs,'' he said.

Deaths were already recorded by the Registrar's Office, and could be deleted by computer, he said.

Through experience with the Bermuda Regiment, Government could monitor who turned 18, and "we just have to canvass our records,'' he said.

When someone moved, they could be required to report to the Registrar's Office or a Post Office within a fixed time frame, just as motorists were required to report a change of address to the Transport Control Department.

Just as Government employees had numbers that identified them, each Bermuda voter could be tracked with a number.

"Big Brother is watching you,'' interjected Labour and Home Affairs Minister the Hon. Irving Pearman .

"They could move throughout the Island, but if we had a unique number assigned to every voter the system would become more efficient, more accurate, more user friendly,'' Mr. Scott said.

Instead of annual registration, the register could be open for changes "at all times.'' A scrutineer would go over the list each year to assure it was accurate.

"This House...has the opportunity to give Bermuda a Christmas gift that will go on giving down through the years.'' In response, Mr. Pearman said that after putting his motion, Mr. Scott failed to speak to it.

Government was happy to debate the issue, but Mr. Pearman noted election registration was barely mentioned in the PLP's election platform, and that reference was to "automatic voter registration.'' Mr. Scott spoke about many things "that are not relevant to voter registration.'' When the Shadow Minister gave notice of his motion on the first day of the session, the Government thought that perhaps PLP polling had showed something that UBP polling had missed, and the issue was a high priority among Bermudians.

"But they've given no evidence of that.'' Mr. Scott talked of one young voter who was concerned. He then spoke about voter turnout, but failed to mention that voter turnout plunged to 66.2 percent in 1985 and has since risen to 74.3 percent in 1989 and 77.6 percent in 1993.

By world standards, the turnout in Bermuda was excellent, but why was it not better.

"Because people couldn't register,'' interjected Deputy Opposition Leader Mr.

Walter Roberts .

"Absolutely to the contrary,'' Mr. Pearman said. The 7,000 people cited as not having voted in the recent election were ones who were registered, but did not vote, he said.

"Fear,'' said Dr. Ewart Brown (PLP). "Register because of fear, don't vote because of frustration.'' Mr. Pearman said that Mr. Scott cited Canadian and Australian examples, but did not mention whether there was also annual voter registration in Canada.

"I can assure you it still exists in many countries.'' However, "we take the point that we have to find ways of making this user-friendly,'' Mr. Pearman said.

The UBP had reviewed the annual registration system in the past and recently did so again, he said. "We cannot find at this point a justification to move away from the present system.'' The main criticism the UBP heard in canvassing was not that the registration system was burdensome, but that it was difficult to get the assessment number, particularly for tenants.

"We are looking at a system of being able to do very similar to what we do now in terms of business returns on an annual basis,'' Mr. Pearman said.

But talks were required with the Post Office, because the changed system would require sending each form to a specific address, rather than an Island-wide mailing. And there were concerns about personal information getting into the wrong hands, when someone moved without notice.

PEARMAN: REGISTRATION SYSTEM ONLY NEEDS `FINE TUNING' Between the 1992 and 1993 registrations, 14 percent of those on the 1992 registration moved, he said.

"Does it ask a lot of a person to try to assure that democracy prevails, to once a year sit down and provide factual information to ensure that one is able to vote?'' Mr. Pearman asked.

A ten-year review was a problem, since the Boundaries Commission was to sit every three to seven years, and the Commission would want an up-to-date voter's list.

Using census information, as proposed, could be as much as five years out of date, he said.

Mr. Pearman was not sure he liked the idea behind the change. "It would make people forget fully what their responsibility is to have a democracy,'' he said. "That is what it would tend to do. Out of sight, out of mind.'' The current system only needed "fine tuning'' to make it more convenient. The PLP had not put forward one substantive argument why it should be changed.

The United Kingdom still had annual registration, though "they do it a little differently,'' by sending out canvassers. But that was expensive.

"I'm bound to tell you that the Government cannot back a motion that is drafted the way this motion is,'' Mr. Pearman said. Instead of reasons, the PLP came talking of voters with breathing apparatus who were "irrelevant to this discussion.'' The present system was understood and accepted, and the UBP had not found that registration was a top issue among Bermudians. But Mr. Pearman had a report from the Registrar on how registration could be made more user friendly.

"As soon as we feel comfortable...we will happily come back to this honourable House and ask to make changes.'' Mr. David Allen (PLP) said the voter registration issue formed "almost a climax'' near the end of his party's campaign platform. While the PLP supported automatic registration, it put forward the motion being debated as "a halfway house'' or "compromise'' that would be more difficult for Government to defeat, he said.

The Island should have an ongoing register that was not abolished each year, but reviewed every ten years.

The fact was, "the poorer the turnout at the polls, the better the UBP does,'' Mr. Allen said. "The better the turnout, the better the PLP does.'' That was why Government set up "trip wires'' to discourage voters, even changing the law so polls closed an hour earlier, at 7 p.m., rather than 8 p.m.

"Who votes between five o'clock and eight o'clock?'' Mr. Allen asked.

"Workers. PLP supporters.'' The ten-year review made sense, because the main information source the Boundaries Commission used was the census, he said.

Mr. Allen said the voter registration system was "draconian''.

He went on to attack the right of hundreds of foreign residents to vote.

They numbered enough to swing the balance in some constituencies, he claimed.

Mr. Allen said most Americans were amazed at Bermuda's registration system.

Government was afraid of people participating in democracy.

Mr. Allen pointed to the example of Ontario where people were allowed to register up to 10 hours before the opening of polls.

Attacking Government, he hit out: "They say they want participatory democracy.

"Why don't they stand up and allow people to really participate? The people of Bermuda certainly want a change.'' Mr. Allen said the UBP would regret throwing out the motion.

"It will hang around their necks like a millstone, like a political albatross, if they turn it down.'' EDNESS URGES MPS TO STOP `NAME CALLING' Health, Social Services & Housing Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness opened by attacking "name calling'' among MPs.

"I think the public are tired of it.'' He said the motion deserved careful consideration.

But he did not want to be called undemocratic by the Opposition if he disagreed with it.

Mr. Edness expressed some surprise at the motion. Voter registration had not been on the forefront of people's minds while he was canvassing for the election.

In fact, just two people in his Warwick West constituency had raised concerns.

These two had complained about the bother of registering.

Mr. Edness said there were two considerations to take into account.

Firstly, was the present system fair, and would changes improve democracy? Secondly, would the suggested change increase the potential for abuse, or reduce it? "In Bermuda ever since we have had the system, which flows from our constitution, we have had little or no abuse in our system. So the system must have something that is correct.'' Mr. Edness believed Bermuda had a "first class system''.

The proposed 10-yearly review bordered on the ridiculous, he added.

And for the Opposition to hold the Australian system up as a model was misguided.

In Australia, people had to vote by law. But a high percentage of them didn't.

And they were never punished.

Mr. Edness said Bermuda was comparable to the British system, where potential voters were aggressively canvassed.

"Getting a lot of people registered equals democracy.'' Mr. Edness said Bermuda had a high registration.

This was thanks to the hard work of those who went out to urge and cajole people to register every year.

"Is it too much to expect adults to fill in a form and send it to the Registrar General? Is it too much to ask? "If we want to be truthful, the answer is `no'.'' Mr. Edness said Government was interested in promoting awareness of registration.

He continued by pointing to a danger which had to be averted.

This was of people registering in constituencies they did not live in.

Shadow Delegated & Legislative Affairs Minister Mrs. Lois Browne Evans said many people were fed up with the current system.

They continually asked why they were being told to re-register every year.

Such a system wasted paper.

"It's a nuisance and a bother.'' Mrs. Browne Evans spoke of people who missed out on voting after forgetting to sign the register.

And she added many people had difficulty in filling forms.

Other countries were sensitive to people's needs and made registering simple.

One of the blights in the old United States' system -- which civil rights' leaders fought against -- was its complexity.

It was so complicated it effectively disenfranchised people.

Mrs. Browne Evans said the Opposition had striven over the years to bring about change, and encourage more people to vote.

Government should now set up a committee to review the system.

Mrs. Browne Evans went on to accuse the UBP of retaining power through cheating.

It had stacked the decks in its favour by having dual seat constituencies, and gerrymandered boundaries.

"Don't puff yourselves up.'' Dr. John Stubbs (UBP) welcomed the motion, saying it was appropriate to review the system from time to time.

But he believed the present system was egalitarian and fair, although it could be refined.

Dr. Stubbs spoke of the occasion when six voters died between registering and the election.

Four of them still voted, he said.

Dr. Stubbs also told how 14 percent of the population moved constituencies each year.

It was, therefore, wrong to re-register every 10 years as the Opposition wanted.

Dr. Stubbs underlined two essentials.

Firstly, it was important to maximise the number of people eligible to vote.

And secondly it was crucial to ensure they were registered in the right constituencies.

PLP'S COX COMPLAINS OF ABSUES TO THE REGISTRATION SYSTEM "We are anxious to make the system user friendly.'' He added: "I defy anybody in this chamber to point to an election system that is more fair and more honest and that works better than ours.'' Shadow Finance Minister Mr. Eugene Cox brought denials from Government by stating, according to the Census, there were roughly 43,000 potential voters of Bermudian status.

This was 9,000 more than the number put forward by Government.

Mr. Cox complained of abuses to the system.

He said in 1976 he knew of 218 people in his constituency who voted when they should not have.

When he fought at a by-election, he was able to "eliminate'' these people.

"There has been much abuse,'' he said.

Mr. Cox continued by saying the current system cost $100,000 a year.

That added up to $1 million over 10 years. Therefore, the Opposition proposal would lead to a substantial saving.

Finance Minister the Hon. David Saul immediately disputed Mr. Cox's figures.

He blamed the confusion on a typographical error.

The total number of eligible voters was 34,000. And Government managed to achieve a high registration.

Dr. Saul accepted many people -- "more than a small minority'' -- disliked the present system.

They complained each February when asked to re-register.

"I accept there is some aggravation, but I don't believe this motion really addresses the problem.'' Dr. Saul said the motion risked attracting ridicule.

And people reacted to it by saying "you must be more crazy than I thought you were before''.

"Everybody says it would be silly to go to extremes.'' Dr. Saul said the current system could be improved by making it more personal, and easier to fill in the forms.

He suggested each year people could be sent a replica of the form they filled in 12 months ago.

Then, if necessary, they could simply state: "There is no change in the results.'' If there were changes, these could be outlined.

Dr. Saul also said the practice of sending forms "to the occupier'' could be changed.

A more personal approach would be better, by using people's names.

"This is going to improve dramatically the set up in Bermuda. I feel the aggravation each February has been caused by the bureaucratic incompetence of the forms.'' Opposition leader Mr. Frederick Wade called for a House of Assembly policy drafting office.

This would help the Opposition draft documents for Parliament.

Currently, it was at a disadvantage because only Government had access to such expertise.

Mr. Wade continued by saying the motion did not mean the voting register would only be updated every 10 years.

Updating could be carried out every year, through the current crop of "scrutineers''.

Every 10 years, however, the slate could be wiped clean. "We could start afresh.'' Mr. Wade said such a system would provide accurate data.

"I believe it will be cheaper.'' He added: "I believe Bermudians are fed up with the whole question of voter registration every year.

"Not because it is not personal, but because it is a nuisance and a waste of money.'' The system was also a technique for Government to stay in power.

Government knew it was not in the UBP's interests to increase voter registration.

If anything, Government would set out to decrease it.

Dr. David Dyer (UBP) believed the present system was just, although it could be made less aggravating.

He did not see the logic of the Opposition's stance.

Dr. Dyer went on to speak of "ballot rigging'' by Opposition supporters at the last election.

He told of people registering in an area where a family member was running, he alleged.

But Dr. Dyer declined to mention names, despite calls from the Opposition to do so.

Transport Minister the Hon. Maxwell Burgess said Government wanted to make the system as "user friendly'' as possible.

FILLING OUT REGISTRATION FORM ONCE A YEAR S `NO SO DIFFICULT' --- SOARES He pointed out Bermuda had a relatively transient population.

Therefore, the current system helped obtain up-to-date information on people's movements.

"The present system is a cornerflag of democracy.'' Mr. Burgess said the PLP's position had changed during the debate.

Firstly, they wanted re-registering every 10 years. Now they also argued for an annual check-up.

"The PLP seems to have gone full circle.'' The present registration system, with a little fine tuning to make it user friendly, would "assure that democracy flourishes,'' Mr. Burgess said.

It "simply was not true'' for the Opposition to suggest that 7,000 to 10,000 Bermudians were not registered to vote in the last election.

Mr. Harry Soares (UBP) said he did not find it onerous to fill out a voter registration form once a year, and the PLP "insulted Bermudians'' by suggesting it was "too difficult.'' "The average Bermudian is very intelligent,'' Mr. Soares said. That brought Mr. Alex Scott (PLP) to his feet, protesting that he had never said the form was too complicated.

Further, Mr. Soares said the suggestion that some Bermudians, like MPs, should not have to produce identification to vote smacked of "elitism in the very, very extreme.'' He said he did not mind producing his identification, and believed "sometimes we perhaps think we are better known that we really are.'' Mr. Soares said he was once at A-1 Supermarket in Paget when a handsome, intelligent, and very well-known man entered the store and was embracing ladies.

He heard two cashiers discussing the man's identity, and neither was sure who he was. One said: "I think it could be John Swan, but perhaps not, because I get him and David Allen mixed up all the time.'' Mr. Scott then rose to reply to the comments made about his motion. He had expected constructive comments from Government, and Dr. Saul appeared to try to do that. Other members felt any Opposition motion should be resisted, he said.

There was no need for annual registration, and concerns raised could be addressed, he said. If the ten-year review was a concern, it could be every five or seven years instead.

"Let the Government know there are serious political consequences for them if they reject this motion,'' Mr. Scott said. "The public are concerned about this annual trek to the registration office.'' Instead, "electronically we can follow every voter around.'' Mr. Scott said he was sent a facsimile message after he delivered his opening speech that told him each voter was assigned a unique seven-digit number in the voter registration files. The number could be correlated with assessment numbers, he said.

Why had Government not made the existence of this number public? What were they using it for, and was it for something "not in the best interests of the public?'' Mr. Scott said he was beginning to suspect "the Government is interested in this current system because it serves no other person but the Government. I hope I am wrong.'' Labour and Home Affairs Minister the Hon. Irving Pearman then rose, and said: "I know of no unique number in the system of the Registrar that one could use for the purpose that is now being suggested.'' Mr. Scott's motion was then put to a vote and defeated 21-18.