BY IRWIN ANGIKI
The Electoral Commission has refuted as misleading rumours that the ballot paper must be signed with a red-coloured pen.
Speaking to Island Sun yesterday evening, Ednal Palmer of the SIEC Communications team said, “the electoral law does not say the colour of the polling official’s signature on the ballot paper invalidates that paper.”
The ballot paper is valid whether it is signed in any colour by the polling official, be it red, blue or black.
A ballot paper however is invalid if it is not signed by the polling official, SIEC said.
The rumours spreading via social media that the ballot paper must be signed in red is totally misleading and false, SIEC said.
“This false information stemmed from a misunderstanding during a recent electoral training in which references were uttered regarding the usage of red pens and blue pens in the kits of the polling station officials.
“Some participants of the training misinterpreted some discussions and spread the misleading rumour that a ballot paper must be signed in red in order to be valid, if it is signed in another coloured either black or blue then it becomes invalid. This is totally false and misleading.”
SIEC appeals to members of public to stop sharing and amplifying false and misleading rumours on social media and in the streets.
“Please seek clarifications from the SIEC.”
