Despite the electoral guidelines that required presiding offers to put clear marks at all polling stations for easy identification by voters, the requirements were hardly followed in many parts of Masaka.
The
Electoral Commission officers failed to clearly mark polling
stations to guide voters in the areas of Masaka.
Despite the
electoral guidelines that required presiding offers to put clear marks at all
polling stations for easy identification by voters, the requirements were
hardly followed in many parts of Masaka.
At many
polling stations, voters would be turned away on reaching the presiding
officers desk, after failing to find their names in the voter's register. The
inconsistency mainly affected voters that didn't have their voter location
slip.
Moses
Kiweewa, a voter at Kirumba B polling station who had accompanied his elderly
grandmother noted that he did not find it easy to locate his specific polling
station. He explained
that the Electoral Commission had gazetted new polling stations by splitting
from the old polling stations, they were used to, but to his disappointment
these were not clearly marked.
"After
braving for a long line, we were told to check with the next polling station
after failing to find the name on the register of the station," he noted.
He argued
that the failure by voters to easily identify their polling stations would
easily demotivate people from participating in the polls, given that the
exercise had also been earlier disrupted by rain.
Sam Agaba,
the Masaka District Electoral Commission Returning Officer indicated that he
was not aware of the challenge. He argued
that the failure by voters to easily identify their polling stations would
easily demotivate people from participating in the polls, given that the
exercise had also been earlier disrupted by rain.
Sam Agaba,
the Masaka district Electoral Commission Returning Officer indicated that he
was not aware of the challenge.
