Today's Echo newspaper carries a story of one Poloko Pitwane who, for whatever reason, was rejected by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) when he attempted to register as an Independent candidate for the forthcoming 2014 General Elections. Mr. Pitwane is a politicized young man, therefore there can be no doubt that his voice is representative of a good section of the youth. The newspaper alleges that Mr. Pitwane has indicated that his supporters may burn their voter registration cards in protest at his barring by the IEC.
While I strongly sympathize with Mr. Pitwane, I am aware, as many people are, that "burning a voter registration card" is not equivalent to "burning a vote". A voter registration card can be reprinted, and can be used by an impostor to vote! What this means is that burning a voter registration card is actually equivalent to GIVING A FREE VOTE TO WHOEVER PRINTS THE VOTER REGISTRATION CARDS. Once the registrations have been done, duplicates for any lost or "burnt" cards can be produced in a matter of minutes!
The voter will be shocked to learn, after the vote has passed, that he/she actually voted, despite having "burnt" his/her card! So, don't burn or surrender your voter registration cards; instead mark all candidates on the ballot, and thus SPOIL your vote. That way, your vote will actually be recorded and counted as a protest vote.
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