UEC launches nationwide voter-list compilation process

 

The UEC held a short course for 20 staffers from 10 township sub-commissions in Yangon Region in cooperation with the International Foundation for Electoral System (IFES). 

The two-day course was aimed at teaching the UEC staffers how to use computers for voter registration.

After the training, the UEC staff will inform people about the compilation process and get down to task later this month, said Ko Ko, chairman of Yangon Region election sub-commission. 

The 10 townships for the compilation of the voter lists are: Seikkan, Dagon, Latha, Seikgyikhanaungto, Kyauktada, Lanmadaw, Botahtaung, Pazundaung, Dawbon and Kamayut. 

“The fundamental issue for the 2015 elections is the accuracy of voter lists. It means the lists should include all eligible voters. Half the electoral process can be said to be complete if we get accurate and the right voter lists. We will launch it in November,” Ko Ko added.

The current voter-list compilation process will not involve door-to-door visits. Voters will be registered on computers based on household lists. The voter lists will be put up at sub-commission offices in 10 townships. Voters will have to look at notice boards to check whether their names have been correctly mentioned in the lists. 

The same process will continue in other regions and states across the country. It is expected that compiling voter lists may take one to four months based on the number of voters in the townships.

 The IFES will provide 330 laptops for 330 townships. As a first step, the UEC has launched this process in Yangon, as it has received only 30 laptops from the IFES. 

The UEC will carry out the nationwide compilation of voter lists in three stages – from November 2014 to January 2015; from December 2014 to March 2015; and from February to May 2015. 

The UEC will keep all voter lists in its computer data bank and announce it on its official website for public access.