KARAVAKI CLARIFIES USE OF HOW TO VOTE CARDS

(May 11th, 2006 No. 76)

The How to Vote (HTV) cards that look like specimen ballot papers with party symbols can be used by voters in the polling booths however, they must be discarded in the bins provided or taken right out of the polling station.

HTV cards look like specimen ballot papers with a tick against a party symbol above the line or preferences listed below the line. Presiding Officers or polling clerks will need to inform voters to take the card(s) with them when they leave the polling station or to put them in the bins provided.

And Supervisor of Elections, Semesa Karavaki today however stressed in a press briefing at the National Media Centre that HTV cards must not be used in a situation where the voters are coerced or compelled to take those cards and to mark their votes according to what is shown on the cards by party agents.

“It should not be used to take away the exercising of the independent decision of the voters, that makes his/her decision who to vote for.

“So the situation should be like a voter wanting to vote for a particular candidate may have decided to go to the shed for that particular candidate to get the HTV card so that he/she can vote for that particular candidate,” he said.

Mr Karavaki highlighted that party workers must not enforce or compel voters to use their HTV cards stressing its also important that HTV cards must be discarded within the polling stations.

“There should be a box or a canopy at the polling stations where they are to be discarded, because if they are taken out they are likely to be used by the voter him/herself by giving it to another voter.

“And the other voter may not know exactly what it means and therefore as a result may vote according to what is written on the HTV card which may be different from what the voter actually wants or whom to vote for,” he said.

Television reports had shown for the last two nights that party workers were giving HTV cards and said that they were canvassing for votes despite a campaign ban.

The clarification is that HTV cards are allowed in the Electoral Act and party workers can give them to supporters outside the 50 metre boundary. Voters can then take these HTV cards into the polling station and into the polling booth and use it as a guide to vote accordingly.

However, the voter must not leave the HTV card in the polling booth (where another voter can see it), but must take it out with him/her and either dispose it in a rubbish bin or take it right out of the polling station.

-End-