Electoral Commission to abolish Out of Constituency registration
By EDDIE OSIFELO
THE Electoral Commission has agreed to abolish Out of Constituency registration for the National General Election proposed for April 17, 2024.
The Out of Constituency registration was done in the 2018 voter registration where out of constituency registration centres were opened in Honiara and in the provincial headquarters.
However, Solomon Islands Election Commission (SIEC) Chief Executive Officer, Jasper Highwood Anisi told media yesterday “if you want to register in a constituency, you will have to trave back to the constituency you want to register in”.
He said Out of Constituency registration in the past has opened up the voter registration process for registration fraud resulting in cross border registration and multiple registrations.
Furthermore, Anisi said there will be no on the spot issue of voter ID cards.
He said in the past, the on-spot issue of ID cards has resulted in multiple registrants ending up having too many cards though cross border registration.
“Voter ID can only be used at a later date determined by the commission and only those whose names are on the final voter list will be given cards.
“Instead of a voter ID card, each registrant will be issued with a copy of their registration form,” he said.
In addition, he said this form will be used as an identity for the purpose of issuance of a Voter ID card as well as proof of successful lodgements of voter registration during the omission and objection of the registration phase, in case of registration is been challenged by someone.
Anisi said every new registrant must provide a proof of eligibility before their voter registration application form can be processed.
“To prove that your eligibility, an applicant must present a birth certificate, baptismal certificate, or a testimony statement by a registered voter in the same constituency you’re applying to register to testify that you are 17 or 18 years old or you’re are a resident of the constituency you are applying to register in.
“For urban centers, you must provide proof such as a receipt of electricity, water, or rental bill to provide your residency or again a testimony statement,” he added.
Moreover, Operation Manager, Fredrick Bosoboe said there will be more than 120 registration teams, one per constituency with more than 10 registration teams will be on standby who will be stationed at the provincial headquarters.
Bosoboe said registration will move according to movement plans to Voter Registration Center (VRC) within their assigned constituency.
He said team will move from one VRC to another within the Constituency from 17th July to 26th August and new registrants and other who need to update their voter details will have to meet the teams at the VRCs closer to them to update or register as a voter.
“Registration will be done in more than 800 VRCs around the country.
“On average, there will one voter registration kid per team for constituencies with 10-20 VRCs,” he said.
Bosoboe said this is to allow all teams to finish the field registration around the same time within the given registration period (17th July-26 August).
There will be other processes follow behind like submission of Omission and Objection claims and the list of those who had made claims will be published to notify claimants and defendants to appear before electoral Commissioner’s Revising Office to justify the basis of the claims.
