House passes bill on Electoral Act amendment, e- transmission of result

THE House of Representatives yesterday passed a bill seeking to amend the Electoral Act 2022 with a view to ensuring seamless electronic transmission of election results.

The proposed amendments were stipulated in the proposed amendment to the Electoral Act, 2022, sponsored by the Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Honourable Francis Waive, which scaled through the Second Reading.

In his lead debate, Waive expressed a bill for Second Reading, brightening the prospect for electronic transmission of election results to minimise fraud in the electoral process.

The proposed legislation also seeks to amend selected sections of the current Electoral Act to provide for the re- registration of voters, same- day elections, electronic transmission of results, and punishment for frivolous election petitions.

Section 60 ( 5) of the Principal Act is amended by inserting the word ' Transmit' after transfer and also the word ' Electronically' at the end of the sub- section that: "The presiding officer shall transfer and/ or transmit the results, including the total number of accredited voters and results of the ballot electronically."

Waive who observed that there are gaps in the current Electoral Act 2022, noted that an amendment of the law became necessary to pave the way for electronic transmission of results, which would help the nation's democracy.

He also argued that "a review of the voter register every 10 years will be a good starting point."

The proposed legislation seeks to amend Section 10 of the Principal Act by providing for a new subsection ( 3) that: "without prejudice to the provisions of this section and subject subsection ( 2), every 10 years the Commission shall carry out a re- registration exercise of all eligible voters in preparation for the next general elections."