Expand postal voting to cover private sector - CaFFE

Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) yesterday (11) urged the Commission of Elections to expand postal voting to cover private-sector workers.

Writing to the Commission, CaFFE Executive Director, Manas Makeen stated that people’s interest in voting at general, provincial and local council elections is less, compared to Presidential Election.

“Therefore people employed at essential services in the private sector are not that interested in returning home to vote. Those in the private sector are given leave, calculated according to the distance to their home from the office. However, this only allows time to reach home, vote and return. This is not an attractive proposition to those who have to travel long distances,” Makeen said in the letter.

Expanding the postal vote for those employed in private hospitals, security firms, hotels and garments would allow these workers to cast their vote with ease, stated the  CaFFE organization issuing a press release.

Given that a general and provincial council election is to be held this year, CaFFE urged the Elections Commission to consider their request.