EBC moves swiftly to correct ‘human error’

As a result of “pure human error,” 158 ballot papers for Special Electors were placed “in the wrong envelopes.”

A release from the Elections and Boundaries Commission yesterday stated that the Commission had “to move quickly to take corrective action” in two electoral districts in the San Fernando Corporation after ballot papers got in the wrong envelopes. The Commission stated that “ballot papers for Marabella East were placed in Marabella West envelopes and vice versa. This means that Special Electors resident in one Marabella district would  not be able to vote for their candidates of choice since the ballot papers which they hold are for the other electoral district.”

The Commission said the problem had been thoroughly investigated and the EBC concluded that the mix-up was the result of “pure human error.” Special voting began today. The Commission said it had started to retrieve the incorrectly issued ballot papers, of which over 70 per cent of the 158 had already been collected. It added that the Returning Officer and personnel at the Commission’s Special Polling Station had also  been alerted to take corrective action at the time of voting in case any of the incorrectly issued ballot papers have not been retrieved by the time the elector turns up to vote.