According to a release from the National Electoral Commission (NEC) voters have been turning out in polling centres across the country to cast their votes in the Local Council Elections.
Polling staff reported a slow start in most centres with voters turning up in a steady stream. The National Electoral Commission (NEC) had appealed to voters not to queue up outside the polling centres too early as this resulted in creating tensions.
A few centres across the country had minor delays in opening due to some technical problems such as missing polling centre materials, late delivery of materials because of vehicle accidents or security concerns or the wrong voters’ list delivered to the centres. Generally however, voting started on time and most of the problems that resulted in delays have been promptly addressed.
Some centres are reporting a high turnout, but in other areas, voting is progressing gradually. The NEC would like to commend voters for the maturity they have demonstrated in this round of elections. The Commission also realizes that there may also be those who might not be voting because these elections have come so soon after the Presidential and Parliamentary elections or because they may not consider them important. The Commission would like to remind them that every vote counts and that this is another opportunity for them to have their say in the governance of the country.
The Commission is also encouraging all those participating in the process to remain peaceful and adhere to the laid down procedures until the final declaration of results. It is expected that the process of tallying of results will begin at 3.00pm on Sunday 6th July 2008 when some of the Tamper Evident Envelopes (TEEs) containing the results from polling centres would have arrived at the NEC Tally Centre in Wellington.
Photo: NEC Chairperson Christiana Thorpe.
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