FEO conducts mock polling exercise in presence of media and political party agents

The Fijian Elections Office today conducted a mock polling exercise in the presence of the media and political party agents.

Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem and Deputy Supervisor of Elections Karyl Winter guided party agents, some polling officials and the media through voting day scenarios inside the polling shed.

Saneem says polling sheds will be present at venues that don’t have a building and the sheds are disability friendly and have a portable washroom.

The voting process was demonstrated as to how it will be on elections day for polling official, an ordinary voter, a voter with disability who brings with him or her their choice of person who will assist them on voting day and a voter with disability who requires help from the election officials present at the election shed.

Saneem says for people with disability who bring with them a person of their choice, the person with disability will inform the polling official that another person will be assisting him or her.

Both will then be directed to the Presiding Officer.

The Presiding Officer will give the voter and the person who is assisting, a brochure on how to assist a person with disability.

The Presiding Officer will record details of person being assisted and the person providing the assistance and accompany them back to the polling official.

They will then be issued a ballot paper and will go to the voting compartment.

A voting screen can also be placed on the lap of the person with disability so he or she can place their vote.

He says if the person has a visual disability, the Presiding Officer will supervise the person providing assistance.

If the person who needs assistance says he wants a particular number marked and the person who is assisting marks a different number, the Presiding Officer will not allow the ballot to go in the box and call the police officer for the person providing assistance to be arrested.

Saneem has clarified that the person providing assistance cannot vote at the same time as the person being assisted.

The final scenario was of the count set up where Saneem demonstrated to political party agents where they can stand to observe the process.