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VOTER REGISTRATION FACTSHEET
Fri, November 20 2009
By BLO/MRC [Khartoum SUDAN]
WHAT IS VOTER REGISTRATION?
􀂃 Voter Registration is a process to prepare, prior to elections, a Register of Voters who will be allowed to vote and to determine the number and location of polling centres.

WHY IS VOTER REGISTRATION IMPORTANT?
􀂃 ELIGIBLE CITIZENS MUST REGISTER WITH THE NATIONAL ELECTION COMMISSION TO BE ABLE TO VOTE!

WHO CAN REGISTER? WHO ARE ELIGIBLE CITIZENS?
􀂃 Sudanese
􀂃 18 Years old
􀂃 Resident in the Constituency for at least three months
􀂃 Sound of mind
􀂃 Not registered in any other geographical constituency

WHO WILL REGISTER ELIGIBLE CITIZENS?
􀂃 Registration teams shall carry out voter registration. Each team is composed of three staff members: head of registration team and two registrars. They are usually selected among the people of geographical constituency and are expected to know the voters in their area.
􀂃 A registration team registers eligible citizens in the Registration Centres.

WHERE CAN ELIGIBLE CITIZENS REGISTER?
􀂃 Registration will take place in buildings or locations called Voter Registration Centres. Most Registration Centres will be located in schools or in community meeting places.
􀂃 Some registration teams will be in a fixed location or building for the whole voter registration period.
􀂃 The majority of registration teams will move around several locations or buildings and will stay in these locations for a predetermined period according to a publicly announced schedule.
􀂃 State High Committees shall announce:
o the locations of Voter Registration Centres
o the schedule of movements of mobile registration teams, including the period of stay and the dates in each location
􀂃 Eligible citizens will go to the Voter Registration Centre that is closest to their residence.

WHEN WILL ELIGIBLE CITIZENS REGISTER?
􀂃 Registration Teams will work for 30 days between 1 and 30 November 2009 from 8.00 AM to 5.30pm every day, seven days a week (including Sundays). The NEC State High Committees may extend the working period if necessary.

HOW CAN ELIGIBLE CITIZENS REGISTER?
􀂃 Eligible citizens need to find out their closest Voter Registration Centre.
􀂃 Eligible citizens need to go personally to their closest Voter Registration Centre.
􀂃 Eligible citizens may bring an identification document if they have one or be ready to bring a witness who can identify them

IDENTIFICATION OF ELIGIBLE CITIZENS
A. Registration Staff can identify eligible citizens if they are from the same constituency.
B. In case of doubts, the citizen can show any official identification paper:
National ID card / Driver’s license / Sudanese passport / Birth certificate / Military ID, police ID, or an ID from an official institution / Certificate of the People’s Committee or from the native or local administration or from a traditional authority / Paper from the Nazir/ Head Chief (Sultan) or sub Chief or Umda or Sheikh, bearing his signature and stamp / Any paper or document issued by an official office
C. If the citizen has no official paper or cannot be identified by the registration staff, the eligible citizen can bring a witness, provided that the witness is from one of these categories:
Religious leader (Imam, Priest, Vicar or Minister) / Umda or Sheikh Head Chief (Sultan) or sub Chief of the village / Head or member of the People’s committee.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION CITIZENS NEED TO KNOW:
REGISTRATION….
1. …is personal. Each eligible citizen has to REGISTER IN PERSON and cannot register anyone else, including family members.
2. …occurs only once. An eligible citizen can ONLY REGISTER ONCE.
3. …is a precondition to vote for Elections. ALL ELIGIBLE CITIZENS MUST REGISTER TO BE ABLE TO VOTE.
4. …is inclusive. All eligible citizens have the right to vote. The Voters Register must include as many voters as possible and registration must be accessible to all eligible citizens.
5. …is public. National and international observers, party agents and media representatives can enter Voter Registration Centres and observe the process according to rules and procedures set forth by the National Election Commission.
6. …is preliminary. At the end of the registration period, a preliminary Voters Register is published. Voters must check that their names and details are correct. In case of missing names, mistakes or registration of ineligible citizens, the Voter Register can be objected.
… and also:
7. Head of Registration Centres have the final word to decide if a citizen can register or not. A citizen deemed ineligible to register can lodge a complaint.

TEN STEPS TO REGISTER
1. Find out your closest Voter Registration Centre from your local authorities, through the Radio or from the NEC State High Committees;
2. Find out the dates of Voter Registration in your area;
3. Go personally to your closest Voter Registration Centre;
4. Bring an identification document if you have one or be ready to bring a witness who can identify you in case the Registration Team asks you to do so;
5. At the Voter Registration Centre answer the questions that the head of the registration team will ask you:
􀂾 Are you Sudanese?
􀂾 Are you 18 years of age?
􀂾 Have you been living here for at least three months?
􀂾 Did you register in any other constituency or in any other place?
6. If the registration team asks you, prove your identity by
􀂾 Providing an official identification paper or
􀂾 Bringing a witness
7. The Registration Team will record your information in the registration book. They will write down:
􀂾 Your name (four names)
􀂾 Your age
􀂾 Male or Female
􀂾 Your place of residency
􀂾 Identification (if needed and the type of identification, whether an official paper or a witness)
8. The Registration Team will give you a laminated receipt with your name and a serial number:
􀂾 Keep the receipt safely. It will help identify you when you go to vote.
9. Check that your name and details are correct in the preliminary Voters Register.
10. If your name is not in the list, if there is a mistake or if you see ineligible voters registered, talk to the registration staff. You can raise objections.

 

 

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