EC to use indelible ink in two colours to check electoral fraud
(The Star) – “In our history, no one has been caught for voting twice but we want to implement the use of two inks to wipe out any negative perception of the process,” he said, adding that if names appeared twice on the rolls, it was due to a technical mistake.
Two different indelible ink colours will be used for the 13th general election in a bid to allay fears of early voters casting their ballots twice.
Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Yusof said one colour would be for advance voters while the other would be for the general public casting their votes on election day.
“We are not disclosing the colours of the ink that will be used and it will remain a secret until polling day to ensure that no one tries to copy the colour,” he said after an election briefing for district police chiefs and election officers here.
He said the move to provide two separate colours was to allay any fear or perception that an early voter might vote twice.
“In our history, no one has been caught for voting twice but we want to implement the use of two inks to wipe out any negative perception of the process,” he said, adding that if names appeared twice on the rolls, it was due to a technical mistake.
He said the next election would also see all the 242,294 registered postal voters military (147,681) and police (94,613) personnel becoming advance voters by default.
Abdul Aziz said advance voting was similar to regular voting except that it would be held a couple of days before polling day for military personnel, their spouses and policemen at their respective camps or police districts.
“The process is the same as regular voting with ballot boxes. There are no envelopes or ballot bags as done previously. It’s just held earlier so that they can go back to duty on polling day,” he said, explaining that the advance voting exercise would be conducted by EC officers.
However, he said postal voting would still be allowed in situations where members of the security forces cannot make it for advance polling but they would first have to fill up a form and apply to their respective returning officers.
The postal voting system had come under criticism, mainly by the Opposition, which had alleged that it had been abused.
Abdul Aziz also said special teams involving election officers, the police, the Attorney- General Chambers and political party agents would be set up in parliamentary and state constituencies to act on complaints during the election.
He explained that appropriate action could be taken immediately on complaints ranging from illegal banners, criminal intimidation to corrupt practices.
“It is a smart partnership aimed at solving problems on the ground immediately,” he added.
