Greanda's Parliamentary Elections Office says it proposing that changes be made to the legislation governing election canvassing to take into consideration the use of digital technology. Supervisor of elections, Alex Phillip, has confirmed that the Parliamentary Elections Office has already considered the implications that technology can have on election day, and that his office will soon be approaching the Ministry of Legal Affairs with a view to amending the Representation of the People's Act to cover the role of technology. "The world has changed, technology has many advantages and disadvantages, but we have to prepare for it and we have already considered a number of issues as it pertains to the use of digital technology and the elections process," said Phillip. "As you know the rules and regulation were written in an era when technology did not play such an important role in our daily lives and therefore it was not included, but like I said, we have already considered it and once we make our concerns known to the ministry, it will now be up to them to do the necessary amendments to the legislation," he added. Phillip said that Grenada has to prepare to deal with technology "because it's here and it's not going away. "It's playing an important role in our lives and if we are not prepared to deal with the advantages and disadvantages then anything can happen, so our move will be to act in advance to ensure our laws speak to the use of technology and the work of the office," he said. Phillip was commenting on whether general elections rules and regulation cover the use of digital canvassing on election day, in the wake of allegations in Trinidad and Tobago that text messages were being sent out to voters on Monday when the country elected a new government. "This is a lesson not just for the Trinidad and Tobago Election and Boundaries Commission, but for all of us with legislation that do not speak to or consider the use of technology in the process, especially digital canvassing on election day," he added. Grenada's next general election is constitutionally due in 2018. Source: ja observer