Joe Wacha
14:18

Gulu Voter Causes Commotion over Missing Name

18 Feb 2011, 11:33 1353 Views Gulu, Uganda Election Report
A disabled voter in Gulu municipality, this morning caused a scene and threatened to interrupt the polls after she failed to locate her name on the voters register at four different polling stations. Florence Aciro, a resident of Eriaga parish turned up to cast her vote at Laroo division headquarters, but was referred to Holy Rosary when the polling official failed to locate her name on the register. Aciro complained that she was disappointed when she learnt her name was missing on the register. Upon failing to locate her name for a fourth time at Holy Rosary polling stations A, B, C and D, Aciro threatened to interrupt the polls saying there was no way she could miss to vote her favorite candidates. The situation was saved by a concerned voter, who offered to text Aciro's personal identification voter number to 8683, the number provided by the Electoral commission. A message delivered through the number provided Aciro's details indicating that her name exists on the voters register at Laroo primary school. She complained that the anomaly cost her unnecessary expenses traveling around the polling stations to find her name, prompting a group of well wishers to raise 2,500 shillings to enable the disabled voter ravel to the next polling station where her name had been located. Severino Okoya, the father of the late Alice Lakwena, also suffered a similar problem after he failed to locate his name at four different polling stations before finally locating his name on the register at Holy Rosary D. Okoya said he was excited to vote after finally locating his name. The problem of missing names on the voters register, has been the commonest anomaly in today's polls. Many voters have been complaining that their names are missing on the register. David Anyanzo, the returning officer has admitted that there are so many complaints of missing names on the register while in some cases the names exist at different polling stations from where the voters registered. Anyanzo attributed the problem to multiple registrations by the voters.

 

Tagged with: voters missing names register polling station

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Joe Wacha