Gambians Vote With Their Marbles
BBC News
September 22, 2006
Voters post their marble into
the different colored drums.
Gambians are voting
for their president with a unique marble system.
Voters enter a booth
and pop a clear glass marble into one of three drums representing the
candidates, instead of a putting a ballot paper into a box.
As the marble falls
into the drum, it hits a bell so officials can tell if anyone votes more than
once.
"It's a unique
system introduced in 1965 because of
The bell resembles a
bicycle bell so bicycles are banned from around polling stations to avoid any
confusion.
"Three drums
representing the three presidential candidates will be in the compartment
attached to one another so they can't be lifted to see which is heavier," he
says.
The system also makes the
counting process much more
transparent.
Chief electoral
officer Kawsu Ceesay
"The drums are
painted in the colour of the candidate's party and have their photograph and
party symbol."
Incumbent President
Yahya Jammeh's drum is green and his rivals Ousainou Darboe and Halifa Sallah
are yellow and grey respectively.
Sand or sawdust is
also put into the bottom of the drum before it is inspected by party agents and
shut with numbered seals so that a second sound is not heard.
Afterwards voters
have their finger dipped in indelible ink.
Marbles have to be
posted through a pipe at the top of the drum and those left on top are regarded
as spoilt ballots.
"The system also
makes the counting process much more transparent," Mr Ceesay says.
The marbles are
placed into trays with either 200 or 500 holes - similar to a solitaire board -
which makes it easy for officials to verify numbers.