After ensuring that all polling stations abroad have voting materials, the National Electoral Commission (NEC) will start dispatching ballot papers, voter lists, and electoral ink, among others, to districts countrywide on Friday, July 12, three days ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections that start on Monday and end on Tuesday, in Rwanda. The ministry of labour has informed the public that Monday and Tuesday will be public holidays so that Rwandans participate in the elections and fulfil their civic duties. The general elections will take place on Monday while Tuesday will be dedicated to parliamentary elections for special interest groups; women, youth, and persons with disability. Voters in the diaspora will cast their votes on July 14. Moise Bukasa, the NEC communications officer, told The New Times that transporting electoral material on Friday is to ensure early preparation in line of avoiding unnecessary delays on the polling day. All districts will receive electoral materials on the same day since each district has its own vehicle dedicated to transporting the material there, he said. ALSO READ: Braille ballot papers, sign language interpreters ready for election day – NEC We ensured that each district has a dedicated vehicle for transporting electoral materials, so everything will be in place before the voting day. This ensures that all districts are fully equipped and prepared maybe two days before elections, he said. Bukasa also said that, on the ballot paper, the order of names will appear depending on when the candidate submitted their candidature. This means that on the ballot paper, incumbent President Paul Kagame, of RPF-Inkotanyi, will appear on top, followed by Frank Habineza, of Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, and then Philippe Mpayimana, an independent candidate. ALSO READ: Elections: Where do soldiers, medics, the sick cast their ballot? According to Charles Munyaneza, the NEC Executive Secretary, final polling centers preparations are underway. The polling station preparations include the setup of the centers, improving road access, and installing electricity where it is not. The official NEC register shows that 9,071,157 people are eligible to vote. It has over 4.2 million males and 4,845,417 females. In the diaspora, 77,138 eligible voters are registered, with 41,243 males and 35,895 females. There are 2,593 polling stations, with 2,433 within Rwanda and 160 designated for Rwandans abroad.
