Smooth - but slow
That’s how yesterday’s start of special voting for next Monday’s Local Government election went, as far as most political parties were concerned.
Special electors number 13,035 out of the 1.07 million registered voters who’ll vote in next Monday’s LG polls. Special electors include people who have to work in Monday’s elections or others who’ll be out of T&T or unable to vote Monday.
Opposition UNC general secretary Dev Tancoo said yesterday’s events went smoothly and a “very, very low turnout” was noted with a minimum of one or two voters or none in some of the stations in the 139 LG electoral districts.
Tancoo said issues - which were subsequently resolved positively- were noted in Mausica/Maloney, Five Rivers and Cane Farm/Bon Air/Arouca concerning having people witness the process.
Port-of-Spain People’s Movement chairman Louis Lee Sing said his party had about 400 special electors over the 12 PoS seats PPM’s contesting and no issues were reported. Same for Movement for National Development leader Garvin Nicholas. Movement for Social Justice officials said they didn’t think MSJ had many special electors.
However, UNC’s Tancoo said the Opposition is paying close attention to special voting- which ends Sunday - to ensure a transparent process following last week’s fiasco concerning discovery in 40 districts of defective ballot papers caused by a procedural error.
The EBC via statement last Friday confirmed some Returning officers, deviating from the prescribed procedure, admitted to writing Polling Station numbers on the back of ballot papers in addition to their initials and some wrote “SPECIAL” on the back of the ballot papers and others wrote “SP”. EBC assured incorrectly endorsed ballot papers were retrieved and the Government Printer was asked to destroy defective ones and provide certification of this.
UNC’s Tancoo said EBC chairman Mark Ramkerrysingh contacted him yesterday, indicating EBC’s seeking legal advice on the use of Election Rule 22 (7) regarding proposed disposal of the spoiled ballots. Tancoo said Ramkerrysingh indicated advice will be shared with UNC.
Tancoo wrote Ramkerrysingh after the conversation yesterday seeking to confirm this and other information reportedly shared by Ramkerrysingh. This included indication that the ballots haven’t been destroyed and this will occur pending provision of the legal advice.