Decision N° 0643/ ELECAM / DGE of 4 March 2013 to lay down the organization of polling stations, on the occasion of the election of senators.
The Director General Of ELECAM hereby decides as follows:
CHAPITER I
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 1 : (1) This decision, taken i, compliance with the provisions of section 26(1) of law N° 2012/001 of 19 April 2012 mentioned above, hereby mays down the organization of polling stations, on the occasion of the election of senators.
(3) In this regard , the decision hereby defines:
– Preliminairies to polling operations;
– Procedure for the conduct of polling operations;
– Procedure for vote counting.
CHAPITER II
Preliminaries to Polling Operations
I- Election material
Section 2:
– (1) Each polling station shall be furnished with the following election material :
– One ballot box ;
– One polling booth;
– Seals ;
– One disposal bag;
– One inkpad with indelible ink;
– One date stamp;
– Ball pens ;
One calculator;
– One lamp, where necessary;
– Two copies of the election register;
– One copy of the decision to lay down the organization of polling statons;
– One copy of the local polling commission guide for chairpersons and members;
– Ballot papers of each contesting political party;
– Election report forms ;
– Counting sheets;
– Appropriate envelopes;
– Stationeries.
(2) The material mentioned under (1) above shall be placed on the table or at seat of the local polling commission , with the exception of the polling booth, the disposal bag and the ballot box.
(3) The ballot box, envelopes and ballot papers must never stray beyond the watchful eyes of the chairperson of the local polling commission.
(4) The ballot box shall be placed at the centre of the polling station, in fron of the table or seat of the local polling commission.
Section 3:- (1) The polling booth shall be placed inside the polling station and in full view of the electors. It must afford each elector, the discretion of making his/ her choice.
(2) A disposal bag shall be placed inside the polling booth , in which each elector must dump the rest of the ballot papers not chosen.
II- Opening of polls
Section4: – Polls must be opened at 8(eight) a.m. prompt.
Section5: – 1) At the opening of polls, the chairperson of the local polling commission shall open the ballot box, to allow all members of the said commission , duly accredited national and international observers and electors present, to confirm that the box is empty and has only one aperture for the introduction of envelopes.
(2) The chairperson of the local polling commission shall close the ballot box again, under the wathcful eyes of the persons mentioned under(1) and seal it.
CHAPITER III
Procedure for the Conduct of Polling Operations
I- Voting Formalities
Section 6 : – (1) Before casting his/ her ballot, the elector, in possession of His/ her voter’s card , shall be identified by the chairperson or by a member of the local polling commission in compliance with the rules and established practice.
(2) Once the formality provided for under (1) is fulfilled , the electors shall, under the supervision of the chairperson and members of the local polling commission, personally pick out the ballot paper of each political party as well as an envelope.
(3) While in possession of the election material mentioned under (2) above, the elector shall enter the polling booth to make his/ her choice.
(4) The elector shall emerge from the polling booth and introduce the envelope containing the chosen ballot into the ballot box.
Section 7:- (1) The vote of the election shall then be evidenced by :
– Affixing his/ her signature in front of his / her name on the electoral registre , within the column provided for that purpose;
– Dampening the elector’s thumb with indelible ink and where appropriate, fully introducing the elector’s thumb in the inkpad;
– Recording the date of the election on the back of the voter’s card.
(2) Having fulfilled these voting formalities , the elector shall immediately leave the polling station, after withdrawing his/ her voter’s card and/ or National Identity Card.
Section 8: – Any elctor, duly entered on the electoral registrer and not holder of a voter’s card, shall be authorized to vote, subject to their formal identification by the local polling commission concerned.
Section 9: – (1) Any person unable to single- handedly go through the polling operations described under Article 6 above , may request the assistance of an elector of his / her choise, duly entered on the electoral register of the cooresponding polling station.
(2) Such a person can neither be a candidate, nor the representative of a political party.
(3) The said person may only assist one person on Election Day.
(4) In compliance with the law, proxy voting shall ber authorized, on condition that the elector unable to take part in the polls provides an elecor of his/ her choice, with a duly established proxy.
(5) However, no electo can be bearer of more than one proxy.
Section 10.- The chairperson of the llocal polling commission must take appropriate measures in favour of persons with disabilities, pregnant women and elderly persons.
II- Role of the Chairperson of the Local Polling Commission
Section 11: – (1) The chairperson of the local polling Commission must ensure the permanent presence of at least three (03) members of the said commission within the polling station where it exercise it duties.
(2) The chairperson must avoid being absent throughout the polling operations.
Section 12: – (1) Only members of the lmocal polling commission shall be authorized to park their cars within the premises of the polling station where the polling operations ar conducted.
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of (1), political parties or their representatives, competent officials of ELECAM branches of the constituency where the polling station is located, the administrative authority abd ibservers may park their cars within the premises of the polling station concerned, provided this does not obstruct the smooth conduct of the polls.
Section 13: – In case any person, in possession of a weapon or a harmful instrument infiltrates the polling station where electoral operations are conducted , causes a crowd to gather, theatens electors or any other election material mentioned under section 2 above, the chairperson of the local polling commission shall order the person concerned to leave and, if necessary, pursuant to the legislation in force, solicit the assistance of the forces of law and order to throw such a person out of the polling station.
Section 14: – (1) At 6 ( six ) p.m. promp, the chairperson of the local polling commission shall declare the polls closed.
(2) However, elctors found inside the polling station at the time of closure of the polls,j as well as those waiting of the door to get in , shall be authorized to vote.
(3) After declaing the polls closed, the chairperson of the local polling commission shall seal the opening of the conduct of the vote counting operations.
(4) Upon closure of the polls, the polling station where voting operations are conducted shall remain open, in view of final vote counting formalities of the said polls.
CHAPITER IV
Procedure for Vote Counting
Section 15: – Subject to the provisions of this chapter, vote counting shall be conducted in compliance with the provisions of sections 108 to 115 of law N°.2012/001 of 19 April 2012 mentioned above.
Section 16.- Prior to the vote counting operations , the chairperson of the local polling commission shall cause the names of the designated scrutineers to be entered on the election report. The chairperson shall aqually prepare the counting sheets.
Section 17: – (1) As from effective end of voting operations, any elector who so desires shall be granted access to the polling station where the commission is conducting the vote count, depending on the intake capacity of the hall.
(2) The chairperson of the local polling commission may, in cas of trouble, expel any troublemaker and/ or requisition the interventtion of the forces of law and order, in compliance with the legislation in force.
Section 18.- At the begnning of the vote counting operations, the chairoerson of the local polling commission shall cause a table to be placed, in the middle of the polling station, on top of which the designated scrutineers shall pour out the bulk of ballots found in the ballot box for complilation and counting of the votes.
Section 19:- (1) The following shall not be taken into account in the vote count results :
– Ballots other than those officially printed;
– Ballots bearng any from of indication or signature ;
– Ballots found in envelopes other than those put at the disposal of electors ;
– Ballots of the different political parties found inside the same envelope.
(2) The ballots thus voiced and, where necessary, the envelopes in which they where found shall be attached to the report and their number indicated as well.
(3) Ballots found in the ballot box without an envelope, as well as empty envelopes shall be equally considered as void and indicated the report.
Section 20: – (1) The results of the polls shall be immediately recorded in the report. this report shall be drawn up in as many copies as there ar members plus three(03) ; it shall local polling commission and members attending.
(2) A copy of the said report shall be hanted to each member of the local polling commission present who signed it;
(3) The results of the polls thus obtained in the polling station shall be proclaimed to the public, under the care of the chairperson of the local polling commission.
Section 21: – (1) At the end of proceedings, the chairperson of the local polling commission shall attach the following to the two ( 02) copies of the report destined for the Regional delegation of Elections Cameroon:
– Blank ballots;
– Contested envelopes and ballots;
– Counting sheets signed by each of the scrutineers;
– Any relevant document relating to the conduct of the polls.
(2) The chairperson shall then seal the envelope and hand it to the Divisional Brach Head of Elecam, for transmission, on a fast- track basis, to the Regional of Elecam.
(3) One copy of the report shall be kept in archives by yhe Regional Delegation of Elecam. The other copy, attached to the documents listed under(1) above, shall be transmitted to the Regional Supervisory Commission, through the Regional Delegate of Elecam, for the next phase of the vote counting procedure.
(4) At the end of its proceeding, the Regional Superbvisory Commission shall draw up a report. Such report, accompanied by its remarks, shall be transmitted within the deadline prescribed by the law to the National Commission for the Final Counting of votes, under the care of the Regional Delegate of ELECAM.
CHAPITER V
Miscellaneous and Final Provisions
Section 22: – Possible disturbance of the peace and measures taken where appropriate, to adress the situation, as well as any useful remark, garthered or formulated by the local polling commission on the conduct of the voting operations shall be recorded in the report of the said commission.
Section 23.- At the end of all the operation mentioned above, the chairperson of the local polling commission shall retrieve the material that served in the conduct of the report and had them to the Divisional Branch Head of Elections Cameroon, for safekeeping.
Section 24.- This decision, which shall take effect starting from the date of its signature, shall be registered and published wherever necessary./-
Yaounde, the 04th March 2013
The Director General Of Elections,
(s) Mohaman SANI TANIMOU
