Mozambique Elections: Lesson from Nampula to reduce confusion – By Joseph Hanlon

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Mozambique Elections: Lesson from Nampula to reduce confusion – By Joseph Hanlon

10:41 CAT | 05 Oct 2018

The Elections Commission is also experiment in Maputo and Matola with computer data bases and SMS telephone response systems to allow people to find their polling station location. File photo: Lusa

Finally, Sheik Carimo stressed how much had been learned from the Nampula by-election. He admitted the first round had been “confused” due to poor training and that some people were unable to vote. The second round was much better prepared.

One problem in a large school with many polling stations is that someone who has lost their voters card but still has a right to vote has no idea which queue to join. Thus one innovation in the Nampula second round was having a laptop computer at each school with the registration list, so that a person could give their name and a STAE official could tell them which classroom had the registration book they were on.

This will now be done next week at all polling centres with three or more polling stations. Renamo remains very nervous about computers, and initially opposed the idea, but eventually relented.

The Elections Commission is also experiment in Maputo and Matola with computer data bases and SMS telephone response systems to allow people to find their polling station location.

Source: Mozambique Political Process Bulletin