EC clarifies issue of children at polling booths

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THE Electoral Commission says relatives of elderly or illiterate voters are allowed to assist them in the polling booths to cast their votes – but the relatives must be of voting age too.
It is in response to a concern raised by a scrutineer of one of the candidates in Morobe who questioned the use of children to assist elderly family members to cast their votes.
Gada Thomas, a scrutineer for Huon Gulf Open candidate Waeda Naeman, told The National yesterday that during polling at the Munum Primary School in Wampar, Huon Gulf, children were seen guiding their elderly relatives to the polling booth and filling out the ballot papers.
Thomas said the family members were either illiterate, elderly or disabled.
Commission spokesman Alphonse Muapi said only relatives who were of the voting age (18 and above) were allowed to accompany their family members into the polling booth.
He said children (under 18) were not allowed to do that because it was against the law.