The responsibility for having a free, fair, inclusive, and credible election is not just the responsibility of the Office of the Electoral Commissioner; it is also the duty of the voter. Are you, the voter, doing your part?

The OEC went to the Supreme Court seeking clarification on when to hold the early election, so the election would truly portray the will of the people. The court has ruled that the three months in the Constitution would be followed, and the nation goes to the polls on 29 August, and voter registration ends on 27 June. The biggest obstacle to achieving a free and fair election now is the incomplete voter roll. Everyone eligible to vote needs to have a say.

People whine, curse and complain about the ineffectiveness of governments and their services. That is all they do when they have the chance to make a difference by selecting the right person to represent them. All they have to do is register because the system has been overhauled, and the OEC has moved from the archaic and obsolete system used in 2021. The electoral roll used in 2021 is also outdated. Many more have become eligible to vote in the last four years, and some have passed on.

The OEC has been trying. They have done awareness campaigns and even taken the registration down to the villages. Sadly, the unwillingness has been on the part of the people. Does it not bother people that they will not have the chance to have a say in the elections or that they will not be able to put in a candidate who will look after their needs? If people want change, then they have to be the catalyst in bringing that change.

There is still time. If people have not registered or re-registered, the OEC is open until late on weekdays and is even open on Saturdays. Make the effort. People should get registered and when the time is right, put the tick in the box for the candidate who you think deserves to be voted in.

Under the law, section 13 of the Electoral Act states that anyone who becomes of voting age before the close of registration has to be registered. The failure to do so leads to fines. The law requires people to register. Be a law-abiding citizen and register to vote. It is your right to vote, and the law in this country requires you to do so.

The OEC has been burning the midnight oil, and more will be burned in the coming days and weeks. The OEC has been thrown into a situation they have never been in. Never before had the OEC had to race against time to get the voting population registered in a short time. Voter registration is not the only thing the OEC will be doing. As the responsible body for the elections, they have ensured all electoral processes are done in time, including the nomination of candidates, challenges to candidacy, the filing of the writs, getting the ballot papers in, early voting, counting and then dealing with other challenges that follow.

It was also good to see a change in the proposed ballot boxes that would be used in the election. The clear bins that have been used in Australia and New Zealand, as opposed to the plywood boxes, which are open to possible tampering. The clear boxes allow for transparency and accountability. It also shows the tireless effort of the OEC in delivering an election that is democratic, fair, credible and inclusive.

Former US president John F Kennedy once said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” As a voter, who wants to see change, improvement in the cost of living, access to education, better health care, improved and resilient infrastructure, lifting people away from poverty, better laws, fair treatment, end to the meth scourge and crime and seeing that elected leaders work for the people, you hold the power.

Do your part? Register, so you can help bring about a free and fair election.