Amendment of electoral act passes second reading

A bill for the amendment of the Electoral Act 2010 has passed its second reading in the Senate.

Propositions of the bill to amend the 2010 electoral act include comprehensive amendments to the Principal Act which is a response in part to a plethora of Supreme Court decisions.

The proposed legislation mandates INEC to accommodate new technologies in the accreditation of voters during elections.

It enacts a new Section 87 on Nomination of Candidates by Parties for Elections by prescribing maximum fees payable by aspirants and restricting nomination criteria strictly to relevant provisions of the Constitution.

The Act forbids members of political parties from taking up employment in INEC; mandates INEC to publish the Voters Register for public scrutiny at every Registration Area and on its website at least seven days before general elections.

It also mandates INEC to suspend an election to allow a political party that loses its candidate before or during an election to conduct a fresh primary to elect a replacement or new candidate.

The bill also grants political parties that nominated candidates for an election a right to inspect its identity and the logo appearing on samples of relevant electoral materials.