15 Aug 2018

 The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) is preparing for the national voters registration billed for September 3 to November 7.

 Addressing a women’s electoral workshop on August 13, elections officer Mr Oaitse Thipe said his office has recruited registration clerks and supervisors who would be hands on in the voters registration exercise.

He said the commission was in the process of conducting training for recruited registration clerks and supervisors so that they knew what was expected of them during the registration process.

He implored women who attended the workshop to encourage others to register for elections, adding that registration would be done only once. 

He said since supplementary registration had been abolished, all those who were eligible to vote should register for elections in numbers.

He also urged them to encourage their male counterparts to take part in voter registration and general elections next year.

Mr Thipe further implored voters to be mindful of the polling stations they were registering at, adding that some polling stations may be nearer the voter but in a different polling district. He added that it was important for voters to know the polling stations within their respective polling districts or wards.

He also implored voters to avoid registering at different polling stations, adding that it caused confusion on voters during elections.

Mr Thipe said the IEC usually considered the first polling station where the voter registered and striked off the others. He said voters who registered at various polling stations usually complained that their names did not appear in the voters roll.

“After registration, voters rolls are made available for inspection by the public so that those with objections can lodge them,” he noted.

He said a person should register for elections in a constituency where they had a residence and that if they had more than one residence, they could register in a constituency where they had a principal residence.

He further informed them that any person who knowingly registered at a polling station which he was not supposed to register at, or give false information to a registration officer shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years.

On other issues, Mr Thipe informed them that the Botswana Congress Party approached the High Court contesting the constitutionality of the Electoral (Amendment) Act of 2016, and that the IEC was still awaiting judgement.

In addition, he said the Amalgamated Local and Central Government and Parastatal Workers Union and Johnson Motshwarakgole had lodged a case similar to that of the BCP.

He said the cases had an effect on the preparations for the 2019 general elections, but urged residents to register for elections despite the setback. ENDS