164,722 Voter I.D. Cards Uncollected
By Donstance Koroma
With just twelve days (12) to the March 7th 2018 elections, the National Electoral Commission (NEC), at a stakeholders meeting with Civil Society Organizations, Trade unionists and the media on Thursday 22nd February, made public the number of voter identification cards already distributed as at 20th February as per regions and districts.
According to NEC, the Eastern Region that consists of Kailahun, Kenema and Kono, 29,511 voters are yet to collect their cards.
In the north, consisting of Bombali, Falaba, Koinadugu and Tonkolili, 22,389 voter cards remain uncollected.
In the south, that includes Bo, Bonthe, Moyamba and Pujehun, 28,113 cards remain uncollected, while the Western Area, that comprise of Urban and Rural, 53,829 cards have still not been collected, bringing the grand total to 164,722.
According to Commissioner Miata French, the collection of voter identification cards continues until 3rd March, 2018. She also pointed out that individuals can still vote without a voter I.D. card, by ensuring that such individual possesses a national identification card, passport or driving license.
Commissioner French also called on organizations embarking on voter education to stay on the right messages to enable misleading messages to die down before the polling day, noting that over 80,000 NEC staff will be working on election day across the country, with 70 vehicles countrywide slated to transport voters to polling stations across the country, owing to the fact that vehicle movement will be restricted on polling day.
She reminded all and sundry that all ballot papers must be stamped at the back before being issued to voters.
The Head of Media and External Relations, Alfred Massaquoi, spoke on result management and ballot papers, noting that all ballot boxes will have tampered evidence tape in all of the 132 constituencies with all ballot papers parked in fifties (50s) with three hundred ballot papers in each polling station, nationwide.
He added that the Commission will embark on progressive results announcement.
Dilating on the progressive result announcement mythology, he noted that the Commission will make public twenty five percent of the results in every region and called on radio stations to do likewise.
Massaquoi added that the Commission is committed to ensure an accurate process that is not driven by speed, noting that, as per law, the Commission does not have specific time for the announcement of results.
He also stated that a designated centre for police officers to vote across the country will be provided, which, he asserted, is to make the process more transparent.