Malawi Electoral Commission says by-lection ballot papers ready: 160 000 voters registered
The Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec) has said it finalized printing of next week’s by-elections’ ballot papers, ready to be dispatched to contesting constituencies and awards.
The Commission has also managed to register about 160,000 voters in the just ended voter registration.
Director of Media and Public Relation, Sangwani Mwafulirwa told Nyasa Times that the Commission will dispatch the ballot papers to the councils on Saturday October 14, 2017.
“The ballot papers have been kept at the MEC office under armed police guard. The room to the office has been sealed in the presence of monitors from contesting political parties, independent candidates and the Police,” said Mwafulirwa.
He has since advised all political parties and candidates to have their monitors, in the councils where the by-elections will take place, available to witness the arrival of the ballot papers which will be in the afternoon of October 14, 2017.
“On October 15, the ballot papers and other polling materials shall be dispatched to the polling centres from the councils. Political parties and candidates are advised to send their monitors to witness this exercise at the council offices.”
Pre-inspection of polling materials in all the polling stations will be done on Monday October 16th where the presiding officers shall open the polling materials to check if they are in good order and quantity.
There are 19 candidates (15 men and 4 women) are expected to contest in the by-elections. Mec expects to hold the by-elections in seven constituencies and wards on October 17, 2017.
The official campaign period commenced on Wednesday, September 13, 2017 and will end at 6am on October 15, 2017.
