Students and teachers of Nauru Secondary School (NSS) held an election Friday for school prefects with the assistance of the Nauru Electoral Commission.
The election mirrored that of a national general election process with; nominations, candidates given opportunity to withdraw, platform to campaign and polling day; which was complete with polling clerks, security and polling booths displaying passport sized photos of the student candidates.
Nauru Media News- NTV reports polling day commenced at 9am and closed at 3pm with students from years 9 to year 12 including the teachers entering by class into the school gym to cast their votes.
After the polling booth closed at 3pm, the ballot boxes were taken to the library room where year 11 students counted the ballot papers using the Dowdall system that is used in Nauru’s general election. Prior to counting, the Electoral Commission Office trained the students on the counting process.
The NEC introduced and worked with Nauru Secondary School on this election of prefects as an awareness program for the youth to understand the significance of the electoral process because one day when they leave school they will be casting their vote and one day they will possibly stand as a candidate in an election.
This democratic election of the school’s prefects gives every student a voice and the opportunity to exercise to his or her right to vote for any of the candidates nominated.
Photo supplied Nauru Media News - NTV