Elections in Sudan - Day One

Juba, Southern Sudan
April 11, 2010

Polling has closed on this first day of elections on a searing hot day in the southern capital of Juba.  Would-be voters hug walls or collect under trees as they avoid the blazing hot sun.  Although they hold valid registration cards, they grumble about not being allowed to cast their ballot because their name did not appear on the voter rolls.  It is estimated that no more than 15% of registered voters have cast their ballot on this first of three days of voting.

The voting process began nearly six months ago with a week long voter registration.  Sudanese adults were registered after proving their identity with either a national ID or two witnesses, although in most cases, these requirements were not followed.  Up to four names were recorded on the official registration sheets and then transferred to a registration card that was laminated with thick tape. Citizens instructed to bring their registration cards to elections.

Registration lists were collected from almost 2,700 registration locations in Southern Sudan alone, and the handwritten names were then typed into a nation-wide database. These lists were printed, along with other election materials, and then distributed, in April, to election staff throughout Southern Sudan.

During today's polling, many registered voters unable to find their names on the voter rolls, which are alphabetized by first name.  Some confusion has arisen when family names appear where first names should, or in some cases, names have been printed in Arabic, which neither voters nor polling staff can read.

While these problems loom over the election, the much larger issue is the names which do not appear on the voter rolls at all.  Many people  who have not been able to find their names at their polling station have walked to other polling stations in an attempt to have their chance to vote.  Most visit two or three polling stations but are still unable to vote.

At this point, it is unknown why these names have disappeared.  It is possible some names were removed after registration because they were invalid, but there has been no official statement to that effect.  Some of the representatives from the opposition parties have suggested names have been removed and sent to distant polling stations, but they have not provided evidence of their claims.

Although polling staff are aware of the problem, it is unclear whether the issue will be fixed.  A temporary solution could be to send each polling stations voting rolls from other polling stations, but this may compromise the validity of the elections if multiple ballots from are cast for the same registration.

Another solution would be to reorganize the lists according to the registration number which would make it easier for polling staff to find valid registration card that may have a misprinted name.

Either solution would present the National Election Commission or the Government of Southern Sudan with the difficult logistical challenge of reprinting the lists, protecting the integrity of the data and distributing these materials to polling stations within the election period. Planes would need to be chartered to the ten states within Southern Sudan and then materials would have to be driven to polling stations that are often difficult to reach.  Considering that many polling stations have not yet received tables, chairs, and in some cases, necessary election materials, this does not seem likely.

In the midst of all the problems, many of today's polling stations had a quiet and almost solemn feel, with people whispering as they stand in line to present their registration cards to polling staff.  The question tonight is if the experience of visiting a polling station will hold the same amount of reverence if the problems are not solved.

For sure, the sun will shine down hard again tomorrow, and southern Sudanese people will return to their polling stations in the hope they will be able to dip their finger in the green ink as proof they have voted.