Principal Deputy High Representative and Brčko District Supervisor Michael Scanlan urges voters in the District to vote on November 15. “Your vote can ensure that Brčko is a fair and prosperous community for everyone. For this to happen, your vote should be for those who you believe will bring much-needed budget transparency, good governance reforms, and infrastructure development. Don’t let yourself be manipulated by identity politics and fearmongering of the past,” stated the Supervisor.
To ensure the integrity of the election process the police and prosecutors are working diligently to investigate and prosecute cases of election fraud, and citizens should report to the authorities any suspected buying, selling or manipulation of votes.
A control check of all the District residents’ addresses is underway and will continue after the Election Day. Non-residents of the District should not try to vote in the District. Such attempts will be discovered and will be subject to appropriate punitive measures by authorities, added the Supervisor.
On Election Day, voters that discover that they were falsely registered for mail-in voting will be able to correct that and vote in person at two special polling stations located at the Gymnasium “Vaso Pelagić,“ at Trg pravde 3. Any day before the election, voters can check with the Local Election Commission to see if this applies to them. If so, the Commission will authorize them to go directly to the special polling station on Election Day.
Independent election observers from the “Pod Lupom” initiative will be present at every polling station in the District. Polling committees should ensure that non-partisan observers are always able to observe the election process, including during the counting of votes.
The Supervisor reminds all District residents that the use of mobile phones at polling stations is not allowed.
All polling stations have been equipped with PPE by the authorities to create a safe voting environment during the pandemic. If you have COVID-19 or are in self-isolation, you may call the Local Election Commission at 049/218-177 or 049/220-020 and request that a mobile team come to you so you may vote.
“It is time to make your vote count. Despite what some people tell you, only you will know who you are voting for. Do not accept money or favours in exchange for your vote; otherwise, you are part of the problem. Your vote represents civic power and should go to candidates who are willing to work for a bright and prosperous future for the entire community,” added the Supervisor.
On 5 November, Supervisor Scanlan visited Brčko and met with the Chief of Police, Goran Pisić, Chief Prosecutor Zekerija Mujkanović, President of the Local Election Commission Andrea Štrkalj Mrkonjić, and long-term observer for the US, EU and OSCE-funded election monitoring initiative “Pod lupom,” Damir Radenković.
