Spilled ink blamed for null, void votes

Spilled ink blamed for null, void votes

Counting of votes at some polling centres in Nsanje has started, with results indicating so far spilled ink could contribute towards increased numbers of null and void votes.
Results from Sankhulani, a polling centre in the district, for example, reveal discomforting results of the problem.
Out of 619 votes cast, 63 were null and void. Most of these were a result of spilled ink as voters, eager to vote before indelible voting ink dried up, messes up their ballots leaving electoral staff with no option but discard their choice.
At Mchinji district's Nkanda centre, the problem is the same as spilled ink militate against voters' choices of leaders.
There have been concerns over the level of civic education in the run up to the elections, but most organizations engaged in civic education services blamed inadequate funding for the malaise.
The Electoral Commission, however, got none of it and accused the organizations of cheating over their capacity.
It says that one of the conditions for awarding voter and civic education certificates was because of capacity. The commission most organizations joined the fray when they had nothing in their coffers, a situation that affected the quality of civic education.

AEP/Richard Chirombo