Pilot electoral roll system tested

 THE PNG Electoral Commission (PNGEC) has piloted an electronic enrolment project to improve the electoral rolls.

Barakau village in Central’s Hiri district was the first to trial the photo roll pilot project. 

The project would also be piloted in the National Capital District, New Ireland, Southern Highlands and East Sepik.

According to Electoral Commissioner Andrew Trawen the photo roll project involved electoral roll readers and tablet users who would update eligible voters’ personal details, including photographing and uploading their photos onto the electoral rolls using electronic tablets. 

Speaking at the launching of the project at Barakau yesterday, Trawen said a newly gazetted enrolment form would be used to collect eligible voters’ information, which includes details of their clan name, parents’ names and place of birth. 

He said a provision has been made in the form for the addition of a voter’s National Identification Number when it becomes available in future. 

“It is the first to focus on community responsibility, for quality of the electoral roll and to modernise voter enrolment and roll improvement systems to much improved electoral rolls for PNG in the 2017 national general election and future elections,” Trawen said. 

He said the commission was aware of the Electronic-Identification Card (E-ID) project which was undertaken by the Department of National Planning and Monitoring and National Statistics Office.