Poll workers for the West Kwara’ae Parliamentary by-election have now been trained and preparing for polling day on 24th May.

Over 150 polling officers were trained for the 30 polling stations which includes 29 polling day stations and 1 prepoll station.

These participants were as follows;

30 Presiding Officers
30 Polling Assistants/Ballot Paper Issuers
30 Polling Assistants/Ballot Box Guards
30 Polling Assistants/Verifications
30 Queue Controllers

The introduction of Queue Controllers and the Polling Assistant/Ballot Paper Issuers, are newly introduced polling officers for a polling team.

These are to improve managing the polling process in all polling stations. Respective duties and tasks are assigned for each officer with the Presiding Officer being the manager of a polling station.

The impact which this new introduction has on the efficiency of facilitating and performing administrative tasks required at the polling station on the polling day is something for learning from this pilot exercise.

The training sessions include theoretical aspects and hands-on activities.

The Solomon Islands Electoral Commission would like to thank the community and its people in Buma Village for the warm hospitality during all our officers’ stay.

This afternoon, all polling teams will be deployed to respective polling stations by mid-day tomorrow.

Polling will open from 7am to 5pm, on Wednesday 24th May 2023. 

 

Candidates, contestants, and supporters contesting in the West Kwara’ae by-election coming 24th May are reminded that there should not be any form of campaign activity happening from 12 O’clock midnight Monday 22nd May right up to polling day. 

This means campaign materials such as candidate posters and banners, t-shirts and anything bearing the name or symbol of candidate should not be on display or visible in our communities including slogan promoting a candiate or a party which a candiate represent, must also be taken down by 12 midnight.

Campaigning outside this "black out" period is an electoral offense with a fine of $20,000 and maximum of 2 years imprisonment and or both.

Candidates and supporters including voters are urged to remove any campaign material within the Constituency as of tonight.

 

Source: Press Release, Solomon Islands Electoral Office