THE Fiji Law Reform Commission will make recommendations to extend the pre-polling period to a week or two, says Commissioner Wadan Narsey.
This is to provide convenience to the elderly, people with disabilities and those who cannot make it to their polling venue on election day.
Professor Narsey made the comment in response to Filimoni Soqeta of Nakasaleka, Kadavu who submitted if there was a possibility for ballot papers to be taken directly to the homes of people who could not make it to the polling station on voting day.
“For those who are sick, ballot papers should be delivered to them,” Mr Soqeta said.
“It is often seen that the ballot papers are not allowed to be taken out, but these people are also counted as voters.
“If possible, the presiding officer or a police officer should be allowed to bring the ballot paper to the patient so that they can vote.”
In response, Professor Narsey said there would be recommendations to make the pre-poll period a two-week period.
“One of the things we are looking at is what we call pre-polling. Pre-polling means that instead of just having one day that you have to go and vote, there are two weeks or one week before the polling date to go to that polling station, at your own convenience.
“That will allow elderly people, handicapped people and so on to come and vote over a two-week period and not just come on that particular day.”
Mr Narsey said another possibility was to have those people register for postal voting.
“Postal voting allows the people to vote from wherever they are. It could be from their own homes if they can’t travel to the polling station.
“If they’re registered for a postal vote then it is possible for the Elections Office to send their agents right up to the ends of Kadavu or wherever with their postal ballots.”
Mr Narsey said this was a suggestion that the commission had made to many places around Fiji, “especially when people are working in different parts of Fiji, away from where they normally register to vote”.
