Ballot papers can be replaced: Supervisor of Elections

YOU CAN ASK FOR A REPLACEMENT BALLOT PAPER IF THEY MAKE A MISTAKE WHILE VOTING

Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem has stressed that voters will be allowed a replacement ballot paper should they need one when voting today.

Mr Saneem clarified that a voter can ask for a replacement ballot paper if they make a mistake in their ballot paper while voting.

He said voters would only be allowed one replacement ballot paper.

“If you need assistance, you can ask the presiding officer to help you and if the presiding officer is helping you, he will do so in the presence of another election official.”

He said the Fijian Elections Office (FEO) was closely monitoring the weather situation in the country and in the case of a flooding, they would announce changes in the polling schedule in affected areas today.

Mr Saneem also stressed the following reminders to voters as the country head to the polls today:

1. From this morning, the FEO call centre 1503 will be open and members of the public can call this call centre to get free transport details and information.

2. If you lost your voter card and you know where you are supposed to vote, you can still vote. The FEO team will be able to verify you. You just need to take another form of ID for verification.

3. It is important for voters to know their polling venues. If you don’t know your polling venue, simply text your EVR number to 1500 and this platform will reply to you with your polling venue, and it will also tell you your polling venue transport co-ordinators name and number. So, if anyone wants to use the public transport provided for polling day, you can text the number that will be made available to you through 1500.

4. The FEO have circulated the voter information booklet in large quantities, and it is also available on the internet and the FEO website. You can go through the booklet privately and check the number of the candidate you wish to vote for. Campaign is prohibited and you cannot circulate materials that have candidate numbers during this period.

If you a person with disabilities, you can ask for assistance from a person of your own choosing and when this assistance is being provided the presiding officer would oversee that the person realises your intention to vote on the ballot paper.