18 Oct 2019

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has received ballot papers of Batswana who voted in the diaspora.

The voting for national assembly aspirants was done on October 12 at the 36 polling stations across different parts of the world, which was set as polling day for Batswana living outside the country.

When briefing stakeholders among them commission members, party agents, electoral observers and media, IEC chairperson, Justice Abednico Tafa said the diaspora voting date was set following the issuance of the writ of elections by the President.

“Today the presiding officers are expected to account for ballot papers issued to their polling stations, provide the number of unused ballot papers and give the number of spoiled ballot papers as well as provide the number of ballot papers used,” said Justice Tafa.

A total of 1 044 Batswana had registered for voting in the diaspora, which takes place two weeks before the general polling day.

He, however, clarified that polling at Tokyo, Japan was not conducted on October 12 due to the typhoon that hit Japan on the set day. It was however done on October 14.

He said voting was conducted in terms of Section 54 of the Electoral Act, where a person voting outside Botswana (Diaspora voting) shall be issued with a ballot paper and ballot envelope with the name of the constituency under which they registered written or stamped on the envelope.

He explained that following voting, the voter put his or her ballot paper into the ballot envelope and sealed it before depositing it into the ballot box. ENDS