GENEVIEVE QUINTAL: Domestos defeats the IEC’s indelible ink
The electoral commission is being forced to face up to complaints and logistical errors as parties lodge objections
Election day has to have been a huge wake up call for the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC). The May 8 national elections were a logistical nightmare that highlighted the weaknesses of the IEC. News spread that the ink used to mark voters’ thumbs was easy to remove, increasing fears of double voting; a number of polling stations ran out of ballot papers; and some ID scanners malfunctioned. The Congress of the People’s Deidre Carter told journalists how she went to five voting stations and would have been able to vote at each one if she had wanted to. She also brought a bottle of Domestos, the household cleaning range which contains bleach, and showed how easy it was to use it to remove the ink off her thumb. Carter accused some EFF supporters of double voting. A number of parties have lodged objections and complaints with the IEC in the wake of concerns on voting day. How the commission deals with these issues and addresses them will be important. PODCAST: Smaller parties suspect ...
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