IMAGE: Namibia Fact Check / The Namibian
An opposition political party agent recently made a misleading statement about how spoilt ballots will be handled during the approaching elections
The misleading statement was made by the United Democratic Front (UDF) spokesperson, Mabasen //Narib, in an interview with The Namibian newspaper that appeared in an article published online on 3 November 2024.
//Narib made the statement while commenting on the Electoral Commission of Namibia’s (ECN) printing of extra ballot papers for the 27 November 2024 parliamentary and presidential elections.
In the article, //Narib states:
“A spoiled ballot is registered as a spoiled ballot during the counting process. How will the extra ballots account for spoiled ballots?”
The misleading part of this statement is the part where //Narib states that a “spoiled ballot is registered as a spoiled ballot during the counting process”.
This is not correct.
The facts
According to the Electoral Act of 2014, a spoilt ballot is a ballot paper that a voter has made a mistake on or marked incorrectly before it has been placed in the ballot box. Since spoilt ballots are identified and replaced before being cast, they are not “registered”, as //Narib claimed, “during the counting process”.
In this regard, Section 102 of the Electoral Act of 2014, lays down the procedure relating to spoilt ballot papers, stating:
“102. (1) If a voter spoils any ballot paper inadvertently the voter may return it to the polling officer concerned.
(2) If the polling officer referred to in subsection (1) is satisfied of the inadvertence he or she must –
(a) give the voter another ballot paper;
(b) retain the spoilt ballot paper;
(c) immediately cancel the spoilt ballot paper and endorse it with the word “spoilt”; and
(d) forthwith record on the counterfoil of the spoilt ballot paper in the ballot paper book the fact that it has been cancelled in terms of paragraph (c).”
//Narib’s response
When approached recently for comment on his misleading statement regarding spoilt ballot papers, Mabasen //Narib confirmed that he was quoted accurately by The Namibian and that he indeed did not make a distinction between spoilt and rejected ballot papers, but also admitted that he had thought spoilt and rejected ballot papers referred to the same thing.
To be clear, spoilt ballot papers are not registered “during the counting process”, but during the voting process. Rejected ballot papers are registered during the counting process.
Mabasen //Narib’s statement is misleading because it conveys confusing information and creates a wrong impression about how spoilt ballots will be treated during the upcoming elections.
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This is an output of and for the Elections Fact Checking Coalition of Namibian media and civil society partners combating election-related misinformation.