www.electionin.org

Organisation : Jordan’s Independent Election Commission
Facility : Voter Registration FAQ
Country : Jordan

Voter Registration FAQ : http://www.entikhabat.jo/public/DefaultDetails.aspx?id=157&type=menudetails
Home Page : http://www.entikhabat.jo/public/Default.aspx

Do I have the right to vote for members of the 17th Parliament?
You are entitled to exercise your constitutional right to vote for your representatives to the 17th parliament if you fulfill the following conditions:
** If you are a holder of Jordanian nationality;
** If are 18 years of age or will complete 18 years by 1/12/2012.
** If you hold an identity card with a national number. (It does not have to be valid).
** If hold an election card which states the electoral district and the polling and counting centers which you have chosen to cast your vote in on the Election Day.
** If you are registered in the final voters’ lists

You will forfeit this right if you are a member of the armed forces, the intelligence apparatus, the general security, the gendarmerie, or civil defense.

A person shall lose his voting right in the following cases :
** If he is convicted of bankruptcy and the verdict was not annulled.
** If he is kept in custody for an offense he is accused of or for any other reason and the charges against him haven’t been dropped.
** If he is insane or mentally challenged.

Do I receive an election card? How, where and when can I get that card?
Yes, you will receive an election card. The Independent Elections Commission (IEC), in cooperation with the Civil Status and Passport Department, has prepared election cards for all Jordanian citizens who hold an identity card with a national number and who is 18 years of age or completed 18 years by 1/12/2012.

You can receive your election card from any card issuance and handover center. There are 79 centers all over the Kingdom and you are free to choose the center, which is most convenient to you. You can go to any center of your choice, show the official in charge at the center your ID card issued by the civil status and passport department, and ask him to issue you your election card

Do I have to pay any fees in return for my election card?
Election cards are issued free of charge. No fees whatsoever shall be charged to issue these cards.

Can I receive the election card on behalf of others?
Yes. According to the election law’s executive instruction No. 1, you are allowed to receive the election cards of your family members who are eligible to vote and who are registered in your family book. The instructions allow you to receive the election card of immediate family members such as your father, mother, son, and daughter, husband, wife and brother and sister . Note that you should bring their ID cards with you.

What are the documents that I should bring with me in order to receive my election card? am I entitled to obtain my election card if these documents have expired?
You should bring with you your identity card. Yes, you are entitled to receive an election card, even if your ID card has expired.

What are the procedures for issuing and delivering the election cards? How long does it take to obtain the card?
Upon arrival at the issuance and handover centers, the official in charge shall do the following :
** Check your ID card (the civil status card) to see if the picture on it matches the person who is submitting it.
** Check the data on the ID card to determine if the information on it matches the data stored in the available database.

** Ask you about the polling center you wish to go to on the Election Day. In this case, you have the right to choose
any polling center in your electoral district and you can choose the most convenient center for you and your family. Click here for the full list of all accredited polling and counting centers distributed according to the electoral districts. A number of these centers are equipped to accommodate people with special needs.

** You will then receive your election card and the election cards of those you asked to receive (your family members).
** The official shall ask you to sign a voucher confirming that you have received your own election card and those of your family members. The voucher contains a commitment that you will give the cards to the persons who authorized you to receive their cards.
** The procedures stipulated above, related to the issuance and handover of election cards, take an average time of 15 minutes per election card.

What is the information contained in the election card?
The card contains the following details :
** The statement “The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan” and the emblem of the Kingdom
** The statement “The Independent Elections Commission”
** Your national number
** Your name in 4 parts
** Personal photo
** The local electoral district/ the governorate where you will practice your voting right to select your representative in the 17th parliament from the list of candidates in your district.
** The polling and counting center at which you choose to cast your vote on Election Day. In this case you can choose the most convenient center for you in your electoral district.
** The serial number of your election card.
** Your card will be sealed and laminated with a transparent cover.

Why should I receive my election card?
Your election card enables you to exercise your constitutional right to candidacy and voting in the 17th parliamentary elections. You cannot exercise this right unless your name is listed in the final voters’ lists, which will only happen if you receive your election card.

Why should I choose a certain polling and counting center? Is it optional or mandatory?
The law stipulates that you choose a polling and counting center where you will cast your vote on the Election Day. The Interpretation of Laws Bureau’s Decision No 5 of 2012, related to Article 30 of the Election Law, gave IEC, being the body responsible for organizing the electoral process, the right to ask you, when you apply for your election card, to choose a polling and counting center in your district where you want to cast your vote. The place you choose will be written on your election card.

In order to facilitate the selection process of a voting center, and to avoid crowding the the issuance and handover centers by too many visitors, it is better to check the complete list of the names and addresses of the polling and counting centers in your electoral district to choose the most convenient one for you and for your family before you go to receive your election card. There is a list which contains the names and addresses of these centers on the website of IEC. The list is sorted according to the electoral districts and it has also been published by daily local newspapers.

Some centers are equipped to accommodate voters with special needs to help make their voting process a smooth and easy one