PRIVATE and public sector employees will be given only one day off work in order to vote in this year’s national general elections. That day is the polling day, according to the new changes which Parliament passed last week.
This change or amendment is contained in Clause 11 which “amends section 116 of the Principal Act to insert a new subsection to clarify that the reference to being released at a reasonable time to vote is a reference to being released on polling day only.”
“The employer’s obligation does not include releasing employees on any other day, before or after polling day.”
This amendment is one of the main features in the changes to the Electoral [Amendment] Bill 2023, which Parliament passed last week. The proposed legislation is at Government House, awaiting ascent by the Head of State.
Under the new changes, employers are empowered by law to allow their employees just one day off work – the day of the election – in order to cast their votes.
Employees will have no choice but to take their annual leave in order to vote in constituencies outside their places of work. In the case of those who have already used up their leave entitlements, they will have no choice but to take unpaid leave if they are serious about voting in the election.
Other features of the new amendments include:
New closing time for voting is 4pm, instead of 5pm as was the case previously;
In explanatory notes to the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2023, the Commission said the Bill is set out to:
- Amend certain provisions of the Electoral Act 2018 which were identified after the 2019 national general elections as requiring some adjustment to better facilitate parliamentary elections;
- Significantly enhance the ability of the Commission to cope with the increasing number of general complaints it is likely to receive about the conduct of electoral officials; and
- Promote some flexibility to the current 56 days election activity timeline in case this is required in the context of elections being held on the same day for the National Parliament, Provincial Assemblies and Honiara City Council.
The new law will come into force when it is gazetted his month.
Solomon Star will provide more coverage of the changes to the new electoral law, including grounds for petitions, which have been tightened.
By Alfred Sasako
