Electoral services staff on duty on polling day risk not voting following the new law restricting people to vote where they registered or get transfer during voter verification period.
Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson Annabel Mtalimanja said this on Monday during the launch of the campaign in Lilongwe that the commission will not issue any authorisation to any category of voters to vote where they did not register.
The category of voters includes polling day staff, security officers such Malawi Police Service and Malawi Defence Force officers, party representatives, election observers and journalists.
“Political parties should take notice of this and be informed that when
appointing party representatives, an expectation should not be created that the party representatives or election
observers will be permitted to vote where they will be posted by virtue of their capacity as party representatives
or observers,” said Mtalimanja.
This is in line with Section 74 of the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Act of 2023 which states that a registered voter shall exercise his or her right to vote at a polling station located at the registration centre where he or she is registered or has been transferred to.
Commenting on the matter, Centre for Multiparty Democracy executive director Boniface Chibwana said the commission is only implementing the law and it is up to parties to make arrangements to ensure their party representatives exercise their right to vote.
“Parties can allocate monitors to work near the registration centres where they registered while roving monitors can vote in the morning before commencing their work,” he said.
On his part, Media Council of Malawi chairperson Jolly Ntaba said the onus is on media houses to ensure that journalists’ right to vote is not affected by where they are posted to carry out their duties.
