Majority of Students Might Not Vote In 2022 Unless IEBC Acts, University Student Leaders Warn
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has been asked to put its house in order, especially when it comes to handling requests by voters to transfer their polling stations.
KHISA CJ
This follows concerns that the process was handled casually and manually in 2017, a move that lead to voters that transferred from one polling station to another failing to find their details in the register at the time of verification.
With the 2022 general election drawing near, the University Presidents Council now wants the matter addressed before IEBC starts the mass voter registration exercise.
“This remains a concern to US, as the majority of the students are likely to be denied their Right to Vote on August 8th 2022 if the above issues are not addressed, taking into account the upcoming voter registration exercise will happen when this group is in school,” read a statement from UPC signed by its President Albert Maloba.
The council that brings together all university presidents and leaders further asked IEBC to ensure it conducts an extensive civic education on voter registration, with special emphasis on the students in institutions of higher education.
Maloba, in the statement, noted that previously, IEBC had failed to directly target students in higher learning institutions during voter registration exercise.
“We, THEREFORE, call upon the IEBC to ensure that voter registration clerks recruited are well informed and should deliberately target students in higher learning institutions during the voter registration exercise,” noted the UPC president.
“We remain available and more than willing to support in mobilizing eligible students to take part in the exercise,” he added.
IEBC is expected to roll out a mass voter registration exercise that seeks to target 6 million new voters.
