UAE's FNC polls: 224,000 eligible voters cast ballot today

Latest: The Federal National Council elections began at 8am at 36 polling stations across the United Arab Emirates where members of the electoral college will continue cast their ballot until 8pm to choose their representatives to the country's legislative body.

Eligible voters who were not able to participate in the early voting, including at diplomatic missions abroad, are exercising their electoral right through an electronic voting system using their ID cards.

The National Elections Committee called upon candidates, and their representatives, to commit themselves to the election executive instructions and instructions regulating the electoral process to avoid disciplinary measures and refrain from any form of campaigning at polling centres.

 It said special committees are watching to ensure compliance with these rules.
It warned that violators will receive an ultimatum and will even be ordered to stay away from the polling centre if they repeat the violation.

The elections committee reiterated its commitment to the "highest" standards of accuracy, fairness and transparency in the electoral process.

Highly-qualified and well-trained teams are at hand at all polling stations to welcome voters and answer any question about the e-voting process.
   
224,279 eligible Emirati voters

A total 224,279 eligible Emirati voters will go to polling centres today to elect 20 representatives of the 40-member Federal National Council (FNC), the National Elections Committee (NEC) said.

The committee emphasised the full readiness of 36 polling stations across the country to welcome members of the electoral college from 8am to 8pm.

Voters, who were not able to cast their ballot in the early voting, which was held from 28th to 30th September, or in diplomatic missions abroad on 20th and 21st September, will be able to exercise their electoral right on election day tomorrow, the 3rd October.

The NEC has introduced early voting in the current FNC elections in nine polling centres as a new method to effectively engage all voters and enable them to actively participate in the national electoral process.

Some 37,663 members of the electoral college voted in the early elections, while 1,389 voters cast their ballot in 94 polling centres in embassies and consulates abroad.

Voters in the third FNC elections will be able to exercise their electoral rights using an electoral voting system that works through the Emirates ID card issued by the Emirates Identity Authority.

The NEC has urged voters to carry their Emirates ID as the authorised document that will enable them to cast their vote.

The NEC has appealed to candidates or their representative to commit themselves to the election executive instructions and instructions regulating the electoral process to avoid disciplinary measures and to refrain from any kind of campaign in the environment of the polling centres.

The committee added that a committee had been formed to monitor and ensure compliance with these rules. In case of violations, a candidate will be served with an ultimatum and may be ordered to stay away from the polling centre if he repeats the violation.

Tariq Hilal Lootah, Chairman of the Elections Management Committee, stressed that preparations in polling centres across the country to receive voters had been completed, and centres were equipped with all means and facilities to enable voters to exercise their electoral right.

''A highly qualified, and well trained team will be at hand to welcome voters and educate them about by the e-voting process,'' he said.

The NEC, he asserted was committed to maintaining the highest standards of accuracy, fairness and transparency in the electoral process.

He urged those who did not cast their vote in the early voting or in the diplomatic missions abroad to head to polling stations to elect the candidate they see fit and capable of advancing their causes in a way that serves the country and its people and realises the vision of the leadership to be among the best countries in the world in the next years.

There are 36 polling centres across the country of which 11 are in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, six in Dubai, seven in Sharjah, two each in Ajman and Umm Al Qaiwain, five in Ras Al Khaimah, and three in Fujairah.

The NEC also explained in a film posted on its website www.uaenec.ae the procedures to use the electronic voting system.

It said that Emirates ID, the certified personal identification issued by the Emirates Identity Authority, is required to use the e-voting system. Voters can vote in two ways, either by directly entering a candidate’s number or by simply clicking the candidate’s photograph.

The voter is then required to confirm the process, during which the voter is allowed to modify the vote in case of an error in selecting the candidate or if the information entered was incorrect.

The NEC has urged all citizens to confirm their names in the voters list by visiting the NEC’s website, www.uaenec.ae, or by contacting its dedicated call centre on 600500005 in order to ensure they are able to exercise their voting right on Election Day.

The NEC has adopted the Electoral College for the Federal National Council Elections 2015 constituting 224,279 members representing all the Emirates, an increase of 66 per cent in the number of members compared to the 2011 elections which had an Electoral College comprising 135,308 UAE nationals.

The Electoral College includes 90,408 members from Abu Dhabi, 53,568 from Dubai, 31,766 from Sharjah, 6,090 from Ajman, 4,105 from Umm Al Qaiwain, 27,455 from Ras Al Khaimah, and 10,887 from Fujairah.

Up to 52 per cent of members in the Electoral College are men while women make up the remaining 48 per cent.

According to the NEC, the final number of candidates in the fray for the elections is 330 as per the electoral time-frame.

The final list of candidates is as follows: 89 from Abu Dhabi, 60 from Dubai, 61 from Sharjah, 41 from Ras Al Khaimah, 23 from Ajman, 20 from Umm Al Qaiwain, and 36 from Fujairah. There are 74 women contesting from all the Emirates.

FNC elections boost development: Gargash

Dr. Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs and Chairman of the National Election Committee, has stressed that third Federal National Council elections highlight the UAE's "sincere" efforts to boost national development and progress.

He said the process reflects the leadership’s vision for broadening political participation.

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