#IMadeMyMark: Report any problems with your ballot before it goes in the ballot box

PEOPLE make mistakes. However, a mistake on election day could mean your vote is unintentionally spoiled and declared null and void.

A message being forwarded on WhatsApp groups on Tuesday morning hinted that some staff at polling stations were not stamping the ballots before issuing them to voters who had arrived at the stations to cast their special votes.

“Just to let everybody know we went to cast our special votes today and by chance, both my husband and myself noticed that the ballot papers weren’t stamped on the reverse side. We approached them and they then stamped them. Without the stamp, they won’t count at all! So please be vigilant when you vote on Wednesday,” said the message being shared repeatedly on community groups.

Attempts to verify the report and contact the originator of the message were unsuccessful, so at present, the incident remains unverified and seems to have originated in Gauteng where it has been doing the rounds since yesterday.

Related article:: IEC gets over 70 complaints online

However, the type of situation described by the message is a perfect example of the type of incident which needs to be reported immediately to electoral officers at polling stations if they happen.

“If there are problems at the voting station and voters notice it, they can report it to the presiding officer who can ensure it is dealt with,” said IEC Commissioner, Dr Nomsa Masuku at a training event for the media last month. “Once the ballot paper is in the ballot box, it is too late, so people who have worries about something need to speak up before then.”

Among the messages doing the rounds warning people about voting irregularities is also the one which has been shared in the past about voters being given pencils instead of pens to make their cross.

“I received a warning people to be aware that pencils had been issued instead of black pens. Pencils obviously are erasable. Again just a forward. Whilst I don’t know how valid these messages are I believe that in today’s political climate anything is possible and sharing the messages can only serve as a warning to be alert,” said local resident, Jackie Schutte.

Schutte said that while she understood that there may be underlying motives behind the spread of messages to try to sow mistrust in the minds of voters, in her opinion the messages only serve to help voters who, on the whole, trust those running the elections and understand that mistakes can happen.

Related article: The challenges of voting abroad

She said in all the elections she had ever participated in previously she had never thought to check for a stamp, but would now be aware of this aspect of the process.

“The odds are that the messages are hoaxes, but in this case serve well as a warning to voters,” she explained.

“We often don’t know or think about things like this as we trust those managing the voting stations, to be honest,” she said. “I, after having voted many times, would not have thought to check for a stamp. But you can be sure all my family will do so tomorrow.”

For more from Northglen News follow us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also follow us on Instagram