- North West, Charleshill and Gantsi with highest numbers
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) Secretary Jefferson Siamisang has told North West District councillors that while the commission is currently overwhelmed with applications for voter registration transfers, there are suspicions of voter trafficking.
Addressing at the NWDC special full council meeting this week, Siamisang indicated that though statistics have not been availed, voters are flooding IEC offices across the country in an attempt to request for transfers, adding that with North West, Charleshill and Gantsi have the highest numbers.
He noted that anyone with valid reasons is allowed to seek a transfer, however Siamisang was quick to note that the reasons should be satisfactory to the IEC officer and provision of necessary evidence if need be.
Siamisang has since warned politicians who will be contesting for the forthcoming general elections to refrain from facilitating transfer requests in an effort to increase the numbers of electorates who might vote for them citing that they may find themselves facing charges of voter trafficking.
He indicated that IEC has increased the fines for such offences from P4000 to P7500 indicating that the fine applies to both the traffickers and those who agreed to be trafficked.
Siamisang revealed that for this year’s voters’ registration IEC managed to register a total number of 1 013 261 (one million 13 thousand, two hundred and sixty-one) voters which is 80% of the target they have set within a period of 57 days as compared to the 2019 general elections where they registered 75% of the set target within 173 days.
As for Northwest District Siamisang revealed that a total number of 46 513 voters successfully registered for the general election while 341 voters were rejected. He added that for Maun West a total number of 16 601 voters successfully registered while 135 were rejected. He highlighted that a total number of 17 499 voters registered for Maun North and 121 voters were rejected, Maun East has 12 413 with 85 rejected.
“Majority of those who were rejected are those who have already registered to vote elsewhere, they will be able to vote but only once at a polling station the first registered at. That means once you register our system automatically picks where you first registered and rejects other registrations,” Siamisang said.
Siamisang assured that there is no how one can vote twice since all the 61 constituencies, 28008 polling stations and 609 council wards of Botswana have been linked together in the IEC system. He noted that it is possible for a person to register twice or more since it is done manually however once the names are scanned and entered into the system those who registered twice will have their registration rejected leaving only one area valid.
