REFERENDUM FACTS
INDEX:
A) Frequently asked Questions
B) Registration Procedures
C) UK Registration Information
A) FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Background
1.Q:What is the 2011 Southern Sudan Referendum about?
A: The 2011 Southern Sudan Referendum will give the people of Southern Sudan the
opportunity to vote for either:
• Confirmation of the unity of Sudan, or
• Secession
Provision for this Referendum was established in the Southern Sudan Referendum Act
(SSRA) of 2009, following the end of the civil war in Sudan by the Comprehensive Peace
Agreement of 2005.
2.Q: Where will OCV be held?
A: Out of Country Registration and Voting (OCV) for Southern Sudanese will take place
in eight countries:
• Australia • Canada• Egypt • Ethiopia • Kenya • Uganda • United Kingdom • United States
3.Q: How were the eight countries selected?
A: The 2009 Referendum Act specifies the eight countries which are ‘densely populated’
by communities of South Sudanese outside Sudan.
4.Q: Who is running the OCV operation?
A: The Southern Sudan Referendum Commission (SSRC), a body independent from the
governments of Sudan or Southern Sudan, is running the OCV operation.
5.Q: Who is the SSRC and why is it in charge of OCV?
A: According to Article 8 of the 2009 Referendum Act, the SSRC was established by
the Presidency of the Republic immediately following the formulation of this Act. The
Commission is located in Khartoum and has a Southern Sudan Referendum Bureau
in Juba. The Commission comprises the Chairperson, a Deputy, and seven members
appointed by the President of the Republic, with the consent of the First Vice-President,
in accordance with the provisions of Article 58 (2) (c) of the Constitution and with the
approval of the members of the National Legislature with simple majority. It includes
women and representatives of Civil Society Organizations. For further information on
the SSRC, see www.ssrc.sd
6.Q: What qualifications do the members of the SSRC have to meet?
A: The SSRC members meet the following requirements:
1. Sudanese by birth
2. well-known for independence, competence, non-partisanship and impartiality
3. at least 40 years of age
4. of sound mind
5. literate
6. not been convicted of a crime involving honesty or moral turpitude even if
pardoned
7.Q: What is the International Organization for Migration (IOM)?
A: IOM is a leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration and works
closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. IOM
works to help ensure the orderly and humane management of migration, to promote
international cooperation on migration issues, to assist in the search for practical
solutions to migration problems and to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants
in need, including refugees and internally displaced people. For further information on
IOM, see www.iom.int
8.Q: Why is the IOM involved in OCV and what is its role?
A: The IOM has been asked by the SSRC to support it in conducting the OCV for
Southern Sudanese in the eight countries selected. The OCV operations and the IOM’s
involvement are specified in the 2009 Referendum Act. IOM is a neutral body, which is
assisting the SSRC and is in regular contact with its representatives.
Eligibility and Documents
9.Q: Who can vote in the 2011 Southern Sudan Referendum?
A: This referendum is to decide the future of Southern Sudan. Therefore only Southern
Sudanese people will be allowed to register and vote. Only those who have first
registered in the Referendum Register will be allowed to vote on polling day.
10.Q: What conditions must Southern Sudanese people meet in order to be able to vote?
A: All voters must meet the following conditions: The law says:
1. born to parents both or either of whom belongs to any of the indigenous
communities residing in Southern Sudan on or before the 1st January
1956, or whose ancestry is traceable to one of the ethnic communities in
Southern Sudan,
(The SSRC has clarified this to mean: “Those who can trace their origins (belonging to
one of the indigenous or ethnic group of the South) in the South on or before 1 January
1956. These persons can vote and register in the South or in other locations”)
2. has reached 18 years of age;
3. be of sound mind;
4. be registered in the Referendum Register.
11.Q: When is the cut off date for being 18 years of age or over?
A: According to clarification by the SSRC, a voter must be at least 18 years of age on or
before the day he/she registers (not on or before the day he/she votes.)
12.Q: Are there criteria to establish if an applicant is of sound mind?
A: The 2009 Referendum Act states: “There should be a general presumption of
soundness of mind unless proven otherwise by a court decision. If someone objects to
the inclusion in the voter’s register of a person who is unsound of mind, this person has
to provide a court decision to prove his or her allegation.”
13.Q: What documents are necessary to bring for registration?
A: After clarification from SSRC, one of the following documents is acceptable as a form
of identification:
a) Written certificate/document issued by a Sudanese authority (even
if expired) which can prove identity.
b) Document issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) which can prove identity.
14.Q: Will a document issued by a host country be valid to fulfil the voter’s identity
requirement?
requirement?
A: A document issued by a host country is not at this stage considered a valid document
to fulfil the voter’s identity requirement.
15.Q: Will a Student ID card be considered a valid document to fulfil the voter’s identity
requirement?
requirement?
A: No. The Student ID card will not be considered a valid document to fulfil the voter’s
identity requirement.
16.Q: How can a person register and vote if he or she does not have any form of
identification documents?
identification documents?
A: In case an eligible voter does not have an identity document, an oral testimony
from the concerned ‘Identifier’ will be accepted. Identifiers are leaders from within the
diaspora community who, after being confirmed by the SSRC, can assist the Chairperson
of the Referendum Centre to verify the identity of the person without documents, thus
allowing him or her to be registered.
17.Q: If a person does not have any identity document, and because of his or her ‘young
appearance’ cannot prove that he or she is older then 18, how can it be proved that he
or she is eligible for registration and voting?
appearance’ cannot prove that he or she is older then 18, how can it be proved that he
or she is eligible for registration and voting?
A: If an applicant cannot prove his or her identity and age, the Identifier will assist in
guaranteeing the applicant’s identity and age.
18.Q: What if the identifier cannot confirm someone’s identity?
A: If a person has no documentation and cannot be confirmed by an Identifier, he or she
will not be allowed to register in an OCV country.
19.Q: Will the SSRC require proof of residence for the OCV registration?
A: Proof of residence in an OCV country is not a requirement for registration. But a
person can only vote at the Referendum Centre where they registered.
20.Q: What if a person who wishes to register and vote is not fully legalised in the
host country? Will they still be able to register?
host country? Will they still be able to register?
A: Yes. For the purposes of registering and voting in the Southern Sudan OCV, it does
not make a difference if a person is not fully legalized in the host country - so long as
he or she provides the correct documentation for registering for the Southern Sudan
Referendum, or is identified by an identifier.
Dates, Times and Locations21.Q: When will the registration begin and how long will it last?
A: Registration will begin on 15 November 2010 and will last for 17 days.
22.Q: When will actual voting take place and how long will it last?
A: The voting in the referendum, as specified in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, is
due to take place on 9 January 2011 and due to last for 7 days.
23.Q: Will the referendum centres continue to operate during public and religious
holidays?
holidays?
A: The referendum centres will operate half day during public and religious holidays
as well as during Fridays or Sundays as the case might be. On other days, normal
registration hours will be nine hours a day. Registration hours for ------------- (Country)
Referendum Centres will be ------------.
24.Q: How important is it to get to the Referendum Centres early for either registration or
voting?
voting?
A: It is advisable to register as early as possible during the registration periods – and
as early as possible in the day. Early arrival will help to ensure early admission into the
Referendum Centre avoiding crowds or long queues that might build up later. Also, the
earlier a person registers in the process, the more time to make an objection if rejected,
as this can only be done during the registration process.
25.Q: Will the period for OCV registration be the same as that for Southern Sudan?
A: The OCV registration period will take place during the same period as in Southern
Sudan and have the same duration.
26.Q: In which areas will the Referendum Centres be located?
A: Registration and voting will be in the same location. Referendum centres will be
established in areas where there are concentrations of more than 20,000 eligible voters.
In countries where there are fewer than 20,000 eligible voters, the Referendum Act
requires that the Referendum Centre will be in a country’s capital city. The locations
of these centres are subject to confirmation by the SSRC. The locations in ----------
(Country) are --------------
27.Q: Will the Referendum Centres be in neutral venues?
A: Yes. Referendum Centres will be in neutral venues. They will not be in either
embassies or Government of South Sudan (GoSS) liaison offices.
Data Management
28.Q: What information will a person be providing when they register?
A: When registering, a person will be providing: their name, their age, their gender,
their address and their thumbprint.
29.Q: What happens to the data after registration? Do host country authorities get a
copy? Does IOM keep a copy after the referendum?
copy? Does IOM keep a copy after the referendum?
A: IOM will not be providing registration information to host countries, nor will it be
keeping a copy of the registration data itself once the referendum is over.
30.Q: Will the SSRC get a copy of the registration data once the referendum is over?
A: Yes, the SSRC will have a copy of the registration data because the 2011 Southern
Sudan Referendum is being organized by the SSRC.
Special Needs
31.Q: Can illiterate persons register?
A: Yes. Article 53 (2) of the 2009 Referendum Act states: “…people with special needs
may be assisted to cast their vote in accordance with the regulations.”
32.Q: Who can assist people with special needs?
A: The Referendum Centre staff can assist people with special needs during registration, in terms of ensuring they do not have to wait in a queue. The SSRC is drawing up
procedures on who can assist people with special needs during voting.
33.Q: Will Referendum Centres be accessible to people with special needs?
A: According to the 2009 Referendum Act, every Referendum Centre shall “be accessible
to persons with special needs and to the elderly to exercise their right to vote.”
Processes – Objections and Corrections34.Q: What if someone wishes to make objections or corrections in the Referendum
Register?
Register?
A: There will be provision for objections and corrections to be made in the following
three areas:
1. A person can appeal against his or her own registration being rejected.
These appeals must be done only during the registration period.
2. A person can also request corrections to his or her own entry.
3. A person can also object to someone else’s entry.
In the case of requests for corrections or objections to someone else’s entry, these
should be done during the Exhibitions period which starts a few days after registration,
when the preliminary Referendum Registers will be displayed and can be inspected. A
Considerations period will then follow during which a Referendum Committee will make
final decisions.
35.Q: Can people still be added to the register after the end of registration, in cases
where they have appealed against the rejection of their own registration?
where they have appealed against the rejection of their own registration?
A: No. If a person wants to appeal to their own entry being rejected, this must be done
during the registration process. After registration is over and the Exhibitions period starts,
entries can be corrected or removed, but not added.
36.Q: When are the Exhibitions and Considerations periods?
A: The Exhibitions and Considerations periods will follow the following timetable,
according to the SSRC:
• 6 December 2010: Publication of Preliminary Register (Exhibitions), which
will last seven days. Objections to other people’s entries and requests for
corrections can be made during this period.
• 18 December 2010: Final date for ‘disposal of objections’ which will take
place during the preceding five-day Consideration period.
• 4 January 2011: Publication of the final rectified register of voters.
37.Q: Will there be a system for people to be able to check their registration entry
without coming back to the Referendum Centre during Exhibitions?
without coming back to the Referendum Centre during Exhibitions?
A: No. There is no mechanism for the registers to be checked or verified outside the
Referendum Centres. The registers are filled in manually and the manual lists are
displayed inside the Referendum Centres only.
Processes – General
38.Q: Can someone else register and / or vote on behalf of a person by providing that
person’s documentation?
person’s documentation?
A: No. Each person who wishes to register and vote must do so themselves in person.
39.Q: Can a person register in Nairobi and vote in Sudan?
A: No. Each person must vote only in the same place where he or she also registered;
having registered, each person will receive a card, which will later be used for voting.
These voting cards can only be used in the same place where registration took place.
This card must be kept safe!
40.Q: What happens if a registrant loses or has his or her voting card stolen between
registration and the voting procedure?A: If a registrant loses or has his or her voting card stolen between registration and the
registration and the voting procedure?A: If a registrant loses or has his or her voting card stolen between registration and the
voting procedure, he or she will not be able to vote.
41.Q: Will the voter’s card be essential in order to vote?
A: Yes. Remember, if you lose your voter registration card you will not be able to vote. It
cannot be replaced.
42.Q: What if a person gets registered but does not cast his vote?
A: A person can register and then not vote. However, the Referendum will only be legal
if 60% of the registered voters cast their vote. This is according to Article 41 (2) (b) of
the 2009 Referendum Act. Therefore, a person who registers but does not then cast his
or her vote is putting at risk the integrity of the whole referendum, which may have to
be repeated.
43.Q: Will Southern Sudanese living in countries other than OCV countries be able to vote?
If yes, how and where?
If yes, how and where?
A: Yes. Any eligible Southern Sudanese voters can register and vote regardless of where
or in which country they currently reside. But they must ensure they can travel to
one of the Referendum Centres being established in any of the eight OCV countries
(or to Sudan itself). They must also vote at the same referendum centre where they
registered.
44.Q: Will IOM help people travel to the Referendum Centres for registration and voting,
whether financially or by organizing transportation?
whether financially or by organizing transportation?
A: IOM cannot help people travel for registration or for voting.
45.Q: Will there be security provision for people at the Referendum Centres for either
registration or voting?
registration or voting?
A: Security will be provided in conjunction with the host OCV country.
46.Q: Are there going to be any observers for the registration and voting processes?
A: The SSRC is developing accreditation procedures for any observers.
47.Q: Will advocates of Unity or Secession be present during registration and voting?
A: It is possible that individuals who are advocates of Unity or Secession may be present
during registration and voting, but if so only as accredited independent observers – not
as political party representatives. All observers whether independent or representatives
of the media, should be accredited.
48.Q: How are registration and polling staff being recruited? What about Identifiers?
A: Local registration and polling staff for the Referendum Centres are being recruited
through advertisements and publicity drives within Sudanese communities. A variety of
programmes are being carried out in different OCV countries to organize recruitment.
Identifiers are also being appointed from Sudanese communities to assist Referendum
Centre staff, but identifiers will not be staff members and cannot themselves register an
applicant. All Referendum staff and identifiers will be approved by the SSRC.
49.Q: Why is there not a Government of South Sudan (GoSS) representative alongside the
IOM Country Coordinator?
IOM Country Coordinator?
A: This Referendum is being organised by the SSRC, a body independent from both
the governments of Sudan and South Sudan. Therefore any offices or representatives
which are established in the eight OCV countries will be done so by the SSRC and not theGovernments of Sudan or South Sudan.
Note: For clarification of who the SSRC is, see ‘Background’ questions.
50.Q: Transmission of results: What happens to the results at the OCV country level? Who
tallies the results and who declares them?
tallies the results and who declares them?
A: Each Referendum Centre is going to count the votes right after polling, and will
exhibit their results right away. After that, the results of each Centre will be sent to
Khartoum to be added to the in-country results.
51.Q: Is it possible to vote electronically by email or SMS?
A: No. The 2009 Referendum Act makes no provision for electronic voting.
_____________________________________________________________________________B) REGISTRATION PROCEDURES
When you get to the Referendum Centre, you will be guided to a registration station.
Once inside the registration station, these are the registration steps:
Step 1:
• Your hands will be checked for traces of ink, to ensure you have not already registered.
Step 2
• Your documents will then be examined to check your identity and eligibility.
• If you do not have documentation, an Identifier may be able to confirm your identity by
oral testimony.
• If your eligibility and identity are affirmed, the station staff will then fill out the registration
form with your name, age, gender and address.
• They will also place your right thumbprint on the form, as well as on your registration card.
Note: If your eligibility and identity cannot be affirmed then you will not be able to register.
Step 3
• Your registration card will be laminated.
• Your left index finger will be inked to show you have now registered.
• You will be given your laminated registration card, and reminded to keep it safe, as you will
need to present it when you come back to vote.
Note: Your entry and card will be cancelled and a new entry made / card issued if:
• A mistake is made when filling out the entry or the card.
• The details on the card are found to be incorrect after lamination.
• The lamination of the registration card has not been performed correctly.
Remember: Keep your card safe – you will need it to vote!
Registration is now complete and you can leave the Referendum Centre with your registration
card.
____________________________________________________________________________________
C) UK REGISTRATION INFORMATION
The Southern Sudan Referendum will give the people of Southern Sudan the opportunity
to vote for either the unity of Sudan or secession.
The referendum is run by the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission (SSRC), a body
independent from the governments of Sudan and Southern Sudan. IOM is assisting the SSRC to implement out-of-country registration and voting in eight countries, including the UK.
- In the UK registration and voting will take place in London and nowhere else in Britain or Europe. In order to vote, you must be registered.
- Registration will start on 15 November and end on 1 December 2010.
- To register, you need to be 18 or over, and born to parents both or either of whom belongs to any of the indigenous communities residing in Southern Sudan on or before the 1st January 1956, or whose ancestry is traceable to one of the ethnic communities in Southern Sudan.
- The following documents are acceptable to prove eligibility - written certificate/document issued by a Sudanese authority (even if expired) or a document issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). If you do not have these documents there will be an Identifier (community leader) at the registration place that will orally confirm/deny your eligibility
- You must register in person. It is recommended to register early as the registration centre may get busy towards the end of the registration period.
- You can only vote where you have registered. Registration cards are given when you register. You will need these to vote between 9 and 15 January 2011.
For further information contact our free hotline on 0800 032 9076 (operational from
November). More information will be also available soon at: www. southernsudanocv.org
