You’ll vote where you registered, says NEC boss

Morogoro. The National Electoral Commission (NEC) insisted yesterday that eligible voters will only be allowed to cast their ballots at the place they have registered themselves and not otherwise.

The NEC said claims that people will be allowed to vote for presidential candidate at any polling station was misleading.

NEC director of elections Kailima Ramadhani said this yesterday in Morogoro during a two-day training seminar for election coordinators, assistant observers at constituent level and officers.

“There have been misleading reports in the streets by some people that anyone can cast a vote for a president at any polling station. This is not true as the Election Laws do not allow that,” Kailima clarified.

However, the NEC official said that, in accordance with the election laws, election observers, agents and police officers on duty will be allowed to cast their votes at their assigned polling stations after filling out Form no. 18.

Mr Kilima clarified further that the Biometric Voters Registration (BVR) system is in good condition and soon the list of eligible voters will be made public.

In another development, Mr Ramadhani called upon election observers at both constituent and district levels to prepare a guide that will address challenges that may emerge during the polls.

Opening the seminar, Morogoro regional commissioner Dr Rajabu Rutengwe said agents of political parties were allowed to be at polling stations but were not allowed to interfere with the duties of election observers.

He requested the election observers to work transparently and incorporate agents so as to make political parties as well as voters have confidence in them.

He said there had been unconfirmed reports that some people were selling their voting cards, calling upon regional councils to make a follow-up on the issue so that legal actions could be taken against the culprits.