ĐEKIĆ: DESPITE GOOD VOTER TURNOUT, NO BALLOTS

DOBOJ, SEPTEMBER 11 /SRNA/ – A large number of Doboj residents turned out for the trial elections this morning, but were unable to vote because the Central Election Commission /CEC/ of BiH failed to deliver the ballots, said Nada Đekić, a representative of the Doboj City Election Commission.

She said that a simulated polling station had been set up at the Dositej Obradović Primary School, where residents were scheduled to familiarize themselves with the voting process using the new technology starting at 9:00 a.m. It was a simulated polling station for which 1,000 ballots had been planned, and they expected to reach that quota given the good turnout of citizens. "We were informed that the ballots are in transit and that we are obliged to inform the public that the trial voting will take place immediately upon receipt of the trial ballots," Đekić told the press. She says that the CEC had provided no other information so far and that she did not know how far the ballot shipment had reached. Đekić said that the election technology was delivered to them after 8:00 p.m. yesterday, although it was supposed to have been delivered at 4:00 p.m. "The City Election Commission bears no responsibility for what has happened, especially for the fact that voters who showed great interest arrived at the polling station at 9:00 a.m. and now have to return, despite it being a working day," Đekić said. She recalled that the trial voting is scheduled to last until 3:00 p.m. and that the City Election Commission has not received instructions on whether it may extend the voting period.