Page 328 - A READY RECKONER

Brief Profiles of Countries, EMBs and Partner Organisations of A-WEB
5. Voter turnout in last National Elections:
70.76%
6. Voting Method
Manual marking of Ballots
7. Audit Trail
Not Implemented
8. Voting Process
Polling days for parliamentary elections are
fixed for an election or the commencement of an
election by the President acting on the advice of
the Prime Minister, given after consultation with
the Electoral Commission (EC) and the Principal
Electoral Officer (PEO). For provincial (local
government) and municipal elections, the date is
equally set by the EC, but in consultation with the
Minister of Internal Affairs.
Generally, there is one polling station in each
polling district, although in populated areas
(mostly urban) there can be more than one
polling station in a district. The registration officer
for the district suggests the locations for the
polling stations after consulting with the PEO,
and the locations needs to be approved by the
EC. Approved locations for polling stations are
published in the official Gazette. Polling stations
are located mostly in schools and community
centers, and are managed by presiding officers,
assisted by polling clerks. Police provide security
at polling locations. All registered voters must
cast their ballots at the allocated polling station.
Polling takes place from 7h30am to 4h30pm.
Political party agents and electoral observers
are allowed to witness the procedures inside the
polling station.
Every polling station has a returning (“presiding”)
officer appointed by the registration officer. The
registration officer will also appoint clerks to
assist the returning (“presiding”) officer.
Voting procedures are the same for national,
provincial and municipal elections. Procedures for
the opening of the polls include checking sensitive
materials inside the ballot box, displaying the
empty ballot box to all present, including polling
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officials, candidates or their agents, and electoral
observers. The presiding officer then immediately
locks the empty ballot box with two padlocks.
Voters must present their voter cards to the
polling clerk in order to cast their vote. If a person
does not present his/her electoral card, he/she
will not be able to vote. The polling clerk checks
that there is no stamp corresponding to the
current election on the voter card, and to confirm
that the voter is at the right polling station. The
polling clerk then checks the electoral roll to
confirm that the voter’s name is on the roll. If
a person’s name is not found on the electoral
roll, they cannot vote, irrespective of whether
they have a valid voter card. The polling clerk
checks the details on the electoral card to satisfy
themselves that the individual corresponds to
the information (age, gender etc.). If satisfied, the
polling clerk places a tick at the left-hand margin
of the roll against the voter’s number.
The polling clerk then hands a voting envelope
and a “book” of ballot papers to the voter.
The voter proceeds alone to the voting booth,
where the voter records his vote by placing the
ballot paper bearing the name and photograph
and symbol of the chosen candidate into an
envelope. The voter presents to the polling clerk
who, without touching it, verifies that the voter
tenders one envelope only. The voter then places
the envelope in the ballot box. The polling clerk
observes the disposal of the unused pages of the
ballot book. Any person suffering from a physical
disability, as well as older voters, may designate
a person of their choice to accompany them into
the voting booth.
Finally, the polling clerk stamps the voter card in
the place marked “date of voting,” with the official
government stamp, and adds the date and their
initials in the space provided. The polling clerk
inks the voter’s left thumb with indelible ink, and
then returns the card to the voter, who departs the
polling station. Voters are given one ballot paper
for each candidate and one envelope, and they are
to choose on ballot and place it in the envelope.
Polling closes at 16h30, however the presiding
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