II ~I ~ ~II~ ~~ ~II ~ ~II - IFES

IFES Pre-electionAssessment: Burundiwould be useful, as the system is currently manual.Electors Per Polling StationThe number of electors per register or polling station is always a serious concern. The pollingperiod in Burundi is from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Polls may remain open to accommodateanyone lined up to vote at 5:00 but voting must be concluded by 6:00. The IFES team feelsthat the maximum of 1500 voters per polling station should be reconsidered. In a wellmanagedvoting station, the voting process will average approximately two minutes per elector.According to current law, voting is compulsory, and therefore turnout on election day willpresumably be high. Each polling station team will have to be extremely competent andefficient to process 1500 people in the 10 hours (600 minutes) the polls will be opened. TheIFES team recommends that this issue of electors per polling station be given reflectiveconsideration by the people developing the electoral code.Voter Registration CardFollowing registration, each elector is provided with a card confirming that s/he is in fact onthe Register and may vote. When the voter presents him/herself to vote, the card is retainedby the polling station officials. The current system provides for a new card for each election.Obviously, the cost of printing six registration cards for each series of elections could proveprohibitive. The team recommends that a single card be used. The reverse of the card beprinted to provide for at least six areas where the election officials could mark the card. Theelector would retain the card for the next election.Ballot Design and Security•Without any reservation, the IFES team recommends that"the ballot for all elections be a singleballot. For the National Assembly and the Presidential vote, a photo of the candidates be33