Question 5
(a) Identify five officials used in the conduct of elections on the polling day.
(b) State one function of each of the officials identified in 5(a).
Observation
This was not a popular question and many of the candidates who answered the question performed below average. They failed to understand the demands of the question and scored low marks. However, the candidates were expected to write the following points in order to score high marks:
(a) Five officials in the conduct of Election.
- Chairman/Electoral Commissioners.
- Resident/Regional/State/Electoral Officers.
- Returning Officers.
- Presiding Officers.
- Polling Assistants/Clerks.
- Polling Agents/Party Agents.
- Security Officers/Polling Orderlies.
- Election Observers.
- Supervisory/ Presiding Officers.
(b) Five officials in the conduct of Election.
(i) Chairman/Electoral Commissioners - move around to supervise the conduct of election.
(ii) Resident/Regional/State/Electoral Officer - Supervises the conduct of elections at the state/regional levels.
(iii) Returning Officers - They announce results and declare winners at polling units and wards
(iv) Presiding Officers - They oversee the conduct of election at the polling stations/ centres.
(v) Polling Assistant/Clerks - They assist the presiding officer by checking the list of registered voters.
(vi) Polling/Agents/Party Agents - They represent the candidates or political parties at the polling booth/station.
(vii) Security Officers/Polling Orderlies - They maintain law and order at the polling station/centre.
(viii) Election Observers - They monitor the conduct of elections and report on the freeness or otherwise of the elections.
(ix) Supervisory/ Presiding Officers -They move from one polling centre to the other within the electoral wards, listening to the complaints and settling minor disagreements arising from the polling units/centres.