Work to Assign Voters to Polling Stations Progressing
February 7, 2019Cell phones not permitted in polling stations
March 25, 2019
The Solomon Islands Electoral Office (SIEO) reminds employers to allow employees who are registered voters to travel and vote on polling day, April 3rd, if they so wish.
In a statement, SIEO said it is important that employers release employees on time to travel if employees need to travel to remote constituencies to vote.
“It is the duty of an employer to verify the time needed for an employee to travel thus award appropriate time needed for the employee to travel to his/her home village to vote.”
An employer commits an offence if an employee’s request to be released at a reasonable time to vote is refused by an employer. In allowing the employee to be released, the employer may award leave entitlement to be utilised or otherwise allow the employee to travel on leave-without-pay basis if he/she has no leave entitlement left.
“We have received complaints from some employees who said their employers insisted on them providing a voter ID card as proof which many of them do not have.
“Employers are advised that a voter does not necessarily need to have his/her voter ID card with him/her in order to qualify to vote in an election. A voter needs only to provide his voter ID number to confirm that he/she is registered to vote in that constituency.
The employer requires only to check SIEO website (www.siec.gov.sb) to confirm that the employee is indeed registered to vote in the 2019 NGE.
The appearance of that employee’s name in the 2019 List of Electors (Electoral Roll) is confirmation enough that that employee is registered to vote in that constituency in the 2019 NGE.
Maximum penalty for an employer refusing to allow its employee from voting is $10,000
SIEO urges everyone to comply with electoral laws to ensure a free and peaceful environment which can result in maximum participation.
