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Abu Dhabi / WAM
The National Election Committee (NEC), announced that early voting in the 2019 Federal National Council, FNC, elections will commence on October 1, and will continue until October 3, from 9 am until 6 pm.
Confirming the readiness of the polling stations for early voting, Dr. Abdul Rahman bin Mohammad bin Nasser Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, Minister of State for FNC Affairs and Chairman of NEC, said, “In order to facilitate the members of the electoral college to exercise their right to vote and ensure widest possible participation in early voting, NEC has allocated nine polling stations that are distributed across the length and breadth of the country.”
Members of the electoral college will have the opportunity to vote for their preferred candidates at nine polling stations across the UAE.
On day one, central database verification of select members of the electoral college will take place at the main polling station in Abu Dhabi in the presence of the candidates and their representatives to ensure the transparency of the voting system. Early voting at the nine polling stations will strictly conform to the pre-determined timing.
NEC indicated that early voting will proceed through an electronic voting system. Voters will be required to carry their Emirates ID as the only identification document approved by the Committee. Members of the electoral college can vote at any of the polling stations, even if they reside in other emirates.
The nine polling stations open for early voting will be located at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, Al Ain Convention Centre, Madinat Zayed Wedding Hall, Al Dhafra, Dubai World Trade Centre, Sharjah Cultural & Chess Club, Ajman University, Ras Al Khaimah Exhibition Centre, Etihad Hall in Umm Al Quwain, and Fujairah Exhibition Centre.
Meanwhile, the Emirates News Agency, WAM, has highlighted the four steps required for successful e-voting.
The first step begins with voters inserting their ID cards issued by the Federal Authority for Identity and Nationality in the identity reader device. The card can only be withdrawn after the completion of the voting process after the “here” button is pressed.