The law as it stands provides for the use of ballot drums and marbles in elections just as before.
With only a handful of withdrawals of presidential aspirants the indications are that the IEC may have to deal with more than a dozen presidential candidates. This means that small polling booths will no longer suffice. Besides this there are other logistical problems such as transportation and security of ballot boxes.
The Gambian electorate who have been used to three to five presidential ballot drums may now have to face more than a dozen ballot drums. The question is what is easier for the voter to cast his/her vote; by scanning more than a dozen pictures and symbols on paper or glancing through a ray of more than a dozen ballot drums?
This presidential election will serve as a lesson in deciding the voting system to be maintained in The Gambia. An Elections Bill is now before the National Assembly and after the presidential election it may be debated.
