IEC removes Benoni official after video of party agent helping transfer special votes

The Electoral Commission has removed a deputy presiding officer from a voting station in Benoni following an investigation into a video showing a party agent assisting with the transfer of special votes.

A video shared on social media on Monday showed a party agent in a blue T-shirt helping an official transfer special votes from a ballot bag into a box. The video left most on social media questioning the procedure and tagged politicians to make them aware of the incident.

“What’s happening here @Our_DA @helenzille?” asked Tsepiso Nzayo, who shared the video.

What's happening here @Our_DA @helenzille ? pic.twitter.com/qLXspxrK8r

— Imbaleki Yodumo (@TsepisoNzayo) May 6, 2019

In a statement, the IEC said it had removed the official, though it believed the process was not compromised.

It said: “The transfer of the special votes from bags to ballot boxes is normal procedure. Ballot bags are used to collect special votes during home visits as ballot boxes are impractical for home visits. At the end of the day of home visits, the special votes collected are then transferred to a ballot box for secure storage and to empty the ballot bag for use on the second day of special voting.

“However, the handling of any electoral material by any party agent is strictly prohibited. They are only allowed to observe operations and raise objections. The deputy presiding officer who was overseeing the process has therefore been removed

“Despite the breach, the Electoral Commission is confident the integrity was not undermined as special votes have a very strict verification process prior to the counting of ballots through the double envelope system.”

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