Election Watch: Knowing What To Do on Polling Day

Now that nomination day today is done, the battle for next GE has now begun. Considering there will be estimated of 3 million new voters & another substantial numbers of overseas citizens (registered voters who have never voted before) getting ready to perform their duties on coming May 5, its such a bewildering situation where the Election Committee didnt make efforts to educate the would-be voters on do & dont during the polling days. Thanks to NGOs' efforts, now the new voters will have ideas on code of conducts the polling days. Check these out from multiple sources that i've got.

The Voter Agent Training recently conducted at the PJ Civic Centre brought to the fore some very critical issues which every voter ought to know.

These are :
1) As soon as you enter the polling station, you will be ushered to Kerani 1, who will check your personal identity against your NRIC. He/she will then read out your name, NRIC number and the Siri/Bilangan number in accordance to the List provided by the Election Commission (SPR).

2) Once all that is verified, Kerani 1 will pass your NRIC to the next officer, Kerani 2.

3) Here, Kerani 2 will hand you a ‘Kertas Undi,’ which is identified by its Serial Number. As a Voter, please know your rights. You have the constitutional right under our Election Laws to NOT accept the ‘Kertas Undi’ that the officer assigns to you. You CAN and should ask for a different ‘Kertas Undi’ from a different book. To do that, just say to the officer, “Encik (or Cik), saya minta Kertas Undi dari buku lain atau dari bawah.” Translated, that is, “Sir (or Madam), I like to request a different ballot paper from a different book or from below.” This must be done so that the Voter CANNOT be identified via the SPR’s Master List. It will take just ONE voter to upset the whole sequence, which will eventually affect the SPR’s Master List for that voting centre. The aim of doing this is to SAFEGUARD every Voter’s identity. No one has the right to know how you want to vote.

4) Once your ‘Kertas Undi’ is issued to you, just stand there and do NOT leave immediately.Instead please CHECK BOTH SIDES of the ballot paper in order to ensure that there are NO pencil markings or any other form of suspicious markings on it. If there are, REJECT the ballot paper issued to you and instead request for these markings to be either erased to your satisfaction or for you to be issued with a new ‘Kertas Undi.’ Also do NOT accept any loose-lying ‘Kertas Undi,’ which may have been strewn about because it was rejected by someone else earlier. ALWAYS ask for a fresh ballot paper from the book. An alternative, as suggested by certain other people via email, is to bring along your own eraser so that when you see any pencil marks, you can rub them off completely yourself.

5) Kerani 2 will then hand the ‘Kertas Undi’ to the next officer, Kerani 3. Kerani 3 carries a seal, which will be used to stamp your ‘Kertas Undi.’ PLEASE watch carefully that the officer stamps your ballot paper FULLY and CLEARLY. After that, see that it is folded into two before the ballot paper is handed over to you. Incomplete stamp mark can and will render your ballot paper as spoiled vote.

6) You can now proceed to the voting booth.

7) At the booth, please ensure that the ballot paper has only your ONE marking of a single X. If for whatever reason, suspicious or otherwise, you overlooked some pencil marks of numbers or markings on the front or back of the ballot paper (ie other than your own mark), please ERASE those markings completely. REMEMBER, these markings can and will render your ballot spoiled – so be Extra Cautious. The most careful approach is to check your ‘Kertas Undi’ thoroughly before you accept it from the officer. REMEMBER to check it in front of the relevant officer so that if you have to reject it, he is right in front of you.

Please be aware that the indelible ink (marked on ur fingernail upon registration) takes 30 seconds to dry and when the folded ballot paper is opened with both hands, there is a great likelihood that this ballot paper will become smudged and therefore rendered as a spoiled vote.

 

To prevent this happening, instruct kerani 3 not to fold your ballot paper so you can check it for markings straight away. Make sure you handle the ballot paper only with your right hand as the left hand finger has indelible ink that is still wet. Move to ballot station and mark X in the box of your chosen candidate with your right hand without handling anything with your left hand.

8) Do not be afraid or cower in fear when you have to express your objections because there are representatives from the various participating political parties who will be there to observe the whole voting process and they are there to assist you as and when you need. As mentioned earlier, It is this kind of information that GUILTY PARTY does not want others to know. They thrive on public ignorance so that they can do whatever they feel like brazenly. One way to stop them is to send this information to as many of your friends as possible so that everyone, on voting day, knows exactly what to do, and? is fully AWARE of his/her constitutional voting rights. Print this out and keep it safely. When Voting Day finally arrives, it will be handy for you to access and read again. PLEASE bring along your own pencil ERASER. It is VITAL that we get this information across to as many people as possible.

9) UTMOST IMPORTANT!!! Do not wear any clothes bearing the symbol of any political parties into the polling hall. Knowing the tide against the rakyat, DO NOT even wear anything that deemed sensitive or have anti-government themes such as Bersih, Himpunan Hijau Lynas etc. The officer can deny u the opportunity to enter the hall to vote. U've waited 5 years, dont waste the chance to vote just because of some silly mistakes....

 

"The idea of election is much more interesting to me than the election itself. The act of voting is in itself the defining moment"

- Jeff Malvoin -