IEC to curb long voting queues

Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Tuesday June 10, 2014 16:46

Some of the measures introduced in the coming elections will be to divide and group names alphabetically.

The IEC chief election officer Dintle Rapoo said the commission would have check points at the entrances of the polling stations to ensure voters have the necessary documents needed for voting.

“Also at these check points, the voters would be checked on the voters roll and be told in which group they belong to and then be directed to the side in which he/she will cast a vote. The purpose of the help desk is to facilitate the lines to move fast as it will check even the page a vote is in,” he said.

It was observed in theIEC report for 2009 that the old and infirm took long on the queues to the detriment of their health or lives.

To address concerns of people living with disabilities, Rapoo said they are working with Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organisation (BOCONGO).  He said for visually impaired people, they would have ballot paper template for easy reading.

Though a template for the visually impaired was designed, not many people used it, IEC 2009 report states.

It found that there are very few people who read and write in Braille.  “The template as is now would be used by both those who can read Braille and those who cannot,” read the report.

The commission has observed that mostly public places do not have wheel chaired rumps and this will continue to be a nightmare for those wheelchair bound at polling stations.