VOTERS REGISTRATION TO COME TO A CLOSE
By: Joshua Lafoa’i
The window for voter registration is closing as Samoa’s 2021 election draws near.
The final day for Voter Registration will be tomorrow, Thursday 8th of October 2020 and the OEC is hot on its heels to push through the queues of voters filing in to register.
The Electoral Commissioner, Faimalomatumua Mathew Lemisio has stated that the work is just starting to pick up for the Office of the Electoral Commission (O.E.C).
“Right now were still out there to register those who haven’t yet. We have posts out at police stations to catalogue all new voters coming in and as of today, there is still a large number of people to go,” he said.
Outside the OEC headquarters, a queue of both young and much older citizens awaiting their turn to be served. The commissioner says the OEC will still do its job to ensure all those who are there will be registered.
“We cannot control the timing in which a person comes to register and we certainly cannot leave anyone who comes here to register unanswered. Even though we have had the registrations open since 2016, some chose to come at the last minute, but it’s still our job to have them jotted down into their proper rolls,” he added.
With just a day to go, the OEC says the rolls are yet to be final. The numbers may still include those who have died during the last five years.
Faimalomatumua says the OEC has reached out to Members of Parliament to connect with their constituencies, to remind families whose loved ones have passed away to confirm with the OEC regarding so.
“The numbers we have now on the rolls are not the final numbers, we still have to confirm from family members about deaths and those who have moved overseas and don’t intend to come back,” said Faimalomatumua.
After the registrations are officially closed, the OEC will undergo a review of all registered voters.
“Once the reviews are done, we should have an accurate number or a number closest to the accurate number of those who are eligible to vote. Since 2016, weve begun to work very closely with authorities and other agencies in Government,” said Faimalomatumua.
The public is urged to contact the nearest registration OEC location for those who have not yet registered to vote.
