EC to replace polling kits delivered with broken seals
The Electoral Commission has said polling kits whose seals get damaged during transfer will be replaced.
There have been concerns after it was observed that some kits had been delivered to districts with broken seals.
“The Electoral Commission has established that seals on some of the polling kits broke during the transportation from the Commission’s main warehouse in Kampala to the respective district facilities,” the Commission Chairperson Simon Byabakama said in a statement.
“The breakage is a result of the impact of stacked metal boxes sealed with plastic seals, pressing against each other, during transportation.”
As a measure to ensure integrity and transparency of the process, the chairperson said, stakeholders in the respective districts are briefed before the offloading begins.
He assured voters that boxes with seals will be replaced.
“Any box that is found with a broken seal gets a replacement, and the serial numbers of both the old and the new seals are recorded. This is done after ascertaining that the contents of the polling kit are all intact,” he said.
It should be noted that the polling kit is comprised of two spare seals to take care of emergency (breakage) during transportation, ballot papers (sealed), Declaration Results Forms (sealed), and the polling register (National Voters’ Register for the respective Polling Stations).
It also carries generic polling forms which include accountability of ballot papers, official report book, and generic materials such as the ink pad, indelible ink, pens, among others.
The polling kit is to remain sealed up to the time of delivery at the polling station where the presiding officer will open it on the morning of polling day and in the presence of ten registered voters at the respective polling station.
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