With the general elections taking place in exactly 7 days from today, here are a few things to note that should and shouldn’t be done at the various polling stations.
DOS
- First of all, everyone is expected to vote at the polling station where they have been rightly assigned to and expected to join the queue before 5pm else you cannot vote.
- If you mistakenly spoil your ballot paper, draw the attention of any presiding officer to help you replace it and continue the voting process else the spoilt one will be rejected and might go against your favorite candidate.
- Also, take note, that each person has the obligation of voting just once thus, under no circumstance are you supposed to cast more than one ballot paper because, it is a crime and punishable by law.
- Citizens should also take precautions as to what they wear on the day of the elections because, it is not advisable to wear any branded party attire to vote.
DONTS
- As a voter, it is not advisable to take pictures of your ballot paper after casting your vote because, the electoral commission advises against it. However, you are allowed to take pictures outside the polling station to encourage friends and family to vote.
- In order to prevent people from causing commotion on the day of the election, the law states that no alcoholic beverages should be sold within 500 meters of the polling station. In the case of an already existing bar close to the polling station, no citizen should be seen going close to the bar. This will help reduce citizens using the influence of alcohol as an excuse to cause trouble.
- No foreign material has to be put in the ballot box. Any other material instead of a ballot paper is an offence and punishable by law.
- Tempering with the ballot box without any authority from the Electoral Commission is seen as a violation of the electoral codes and anyone caught will be handed over to the law to be dealt with.
Finally, every citizen has to comply with the rules and regulations governing elections at the voting centres to ensure a peaceful and successful elections failure to do this attracts punishment.
