Changes in voter validation
µµ The changes will include the categorisation of voters into two groups. The groups include those that would have registered outside their and and those that have registered within their and
MBABANE – The Elections and Boundaries Commission EBC looks at improving the process of verification and validation of the voters roll this year.
The process happens immediately after the registration exercise which opened on Wednesday May , .
The changes this year will include the categorisation of voters into two groups.
The groups include those that would have registered outside their umphakatsi and inkhundla and those that have registered within their umphakatsi and inkhundla.
The 9oter Registration $ct, reTuires the inspection of the voters¶ roll by registrants to validate their voter information and also apply for obMections. 'uring the validation exercise, correction documents are made available.
$ccording to EBC Communications Officer Mbonisi Bhembe, those that registered outside their umphakatsi and inkhundla would be separated and vetted for approval or obMection. Where the verification process finds an obMection, the commission would then make a call to the voter and give him or her chance to show proof beyond reasonable doubt that they Tualify to vote under their preferred inkhundla.
DOUBTS
Bhembe said the commission intends to stop all doubts around votes that come from outside imiphakatsi and constituencies. +e stated that they were aware of the complaints that were raised by the electorate, that some registrants from places outside their inkhundla decide the outcome of the vote at the end of the process.
EBC raised the issue in the elections¶ report that vote-buying was a challenge and adversely affected the validation exercise, resulting in a high number of obMections that sparked confusion. The matter was raised again during the civic and voter education exercise that aspiring Members of 3arliament M3s were buying votes from the textile industry and their validation was Tuestionable.
“We are aware of many issues around the matter and the commission recommended amendments to the Elections $ct, to counter those issues. The validation and verification process is detrimental in the drive to deliver a free and fair election. 6ome of the amendments in the Bill to be tabled will counter some of the problems we observed in the past,” he said.
VERIFIED
Bhembe said the group that would have registered in polling stations within their umphakatsi would be verified by imisumpe and the elections clerks.
+e said the categorisation of the voters per umphakatsi was meant to complement the fact that voters were allowed to register at any polling station or voter registration pop-ups. +e added that voters only have to indicate the umphakatsi they intend to cast their vote at, during the registration process at any polling post.
+e also stated that the commission was going to open a voter service portal on their website, where the data would be available online for voters to verify their polling information. Bhembe said the portal would be accessed using the voter¶s personal identity number 3,1 .
“We will open a portal for the voters to be able to track their polling information and verify whether the information was registered correctly before the validation process.
ENCOURAGE
“, want to encourage the voters that, as soon as the registration closes, their data will be uploaded to allow them to verify so they should make use of the portal, also as it assists in the verification and validation exercise,” he added.
Bhembe said once a voter finds a Tuery on the information provided online, the voter was expected to then go to the nearest centre to fill up a form and lodge a complaint for the
EBC to take action.
+e stated that the same process of verification and validation would apply for the special voting exercise. +owever, Bhembe said the special voting would need more contribution and a hands-on approach from imiphakatsi to identify the names of the voters.
STRICT
“We will have a more strict approach on the special voting as we always do. This year we intend to also allow agents of the candidates to be present during the verification of the voters. This is to ensure that as observers, they can also raise a Tuery where they see one. We also want to increase the security features on the seals that carry these votes. We will make special voting declaration before everything and this is to ensure that even the agents are aware of how many voters registered under special voting,” he said.
+e said the same process would apply even to those that were in prison or outside the country. Bhembe further mentioned that the commission recommended an amendment to include essential service providers to the list of special voting, as they might have issues with voting due to the need to be at work even on holidays.
+e stated that the commission has tried to increase their visibility and mobility in the registration process to ensure that the services were accessible to all.
“We are aware that there are remote areas where people find it difficult to get to the designated registration centres. We have since made provision of one kit that would be stationed in one centre and have more mobile kits to try and reach out to more people. Through what we have termed as Mopping Exercise, we will also have pop-ups at malls and different shopping complexes, so we encourage people to go register at these pop-ups when they see one anywhere,” he said.
VALIDATION
9oter validation commences -une
, and would be preceded by one-day training for registration clerks on the process of verification and validation. The process will run until -uly , .
'uring this period, registered voters would be given an opportunity to verify their particulars and ensure that they were registered to vote at the right polling station, ahead of the polling day. Registrants would also be allowed to inspect the voters¶ roll and then apply for necessary corrections and/or valid transfers.
The commission would appoint officers to form a task team that would be responsible for coordinating the validation exercise. Their task would be to look into obMections and applications for transfers and make recommendations to the commission. The recommendations would include approvals and reMections with valid reasons.
$ total of obMections and transfer applications were validated in