PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):

Voters in the upcoming general election are to be banned from using cellphones inside voting booths on election day, election officials here have said.

The Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC), in a statement on the weekend, said the use of cellphones could compromise the secrecy of the voting process.

Acting Chief Elections Officer Versil Charles-Wright said the decision was taken after concerns were raised by one of the three main political parties that voters could take photographs inside of the voting booths to show which party they had given their vote.

Secrecy of the ballot

The EBC's head said the rule would apply to everyone, including the Prime Minister and President, but she said the commission was still trying to come up with a workable system to collect all cellphones at the 2,046 polling stations across the country.

"We have to ensure the secrecy of the ballot is maintained and protected so we have taken the initiative to ban the use of cellphone inside of polling stations. Some cellphones are so tiny they can be easily hidden and used secretly inside the voting booth," Charles-Wright explained.

The same rule will apply for all the 12,033 EBC staff working at the various polling stations.

As of October 12, 990,351 voters were registered to vote in Trinidad and its sister island of Tobago. Today, all candidates contesting the general election are expected to submit their nomination papers in preparation for November 5 poll.

Jamaica's Elections Commission also instituted a ban on cellphone usage inside voting booths for the September 3 General Election.