Worry over roll update

THE task of identifying the real voter in the country remains a major challenge, says electoral commissioner Simon Sinai.
“The conventional style of sending officers out to the field to collect data and enrol voters is not working to perfection,” he said.
“We still have issues with the reliability of the data we collect, eventually is converted into electors’ roll and it boils down to the individual, the community leaders, village councillors and local leaders who are not supplying the reliable information at the time of enrolment,” he said.
He said that is why many times they’re confronted with same concerns and issues on the integrity and credibility of the roll.
Sinai said this when giving an update in the ward electoral roll, which is taking place in many parts of the country.
He said fieldwork had started in 20 provinces where election managers and their assistants have been conducting second and third tier training for local level government (LLG) coordinators and ward enrolment agents in preparation for voter roll update and 2024 LLG elections. “The only two provinces not taking part in this exercise are National Capital District and Autonomous Region of Bougainville,” he said.
Sinai said training was an essential part of the electoral cycle and covered a range of activities that are packaged and delivered in different phases of training, adding that some provinces had completed their tier two and three training and were into fieldwork, issuing form 11 or the enrolment forms to new voters to start enrolling.
“We are embarking on a ward-based roll in every LLG in the country so voters in every clan and village in a council ward know who they are. So there is no cheating and manipulation of the roll when it comes to enrolment.
“The roll belongs to the family, the clan and the village, therefore, my appeal to you all is take ownership of the roll work and give us honest and accurate information,” he said.
Sinai urged all new voters to register their names with the LLG coordinators in their respective districts when the enrolment exercise is in progress.