The Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) on Monday said that ballots from 63 polling centers and 13 sites would be invalidated after assessment by provincial staff.
The decision was made after the ECC's provincial offices completed investigations into 1,311 complaints. The total number of ballots that would be voided was not shared, though if each of the centers consists of three polling sites with 600 ballots, which is the average, then roughly 120,000 ballots were discarded.
Meanwhile, a former head of the Independent Election Commission (IEC) criticized its counterpart for going about the investigations in a cursory manner, reminding candidates and others that they may appeal the decision to discount the ballots to the ECC.
ECC spokesman Nadir Mohseni noted that the decision to discard the ballots could be wrong, and subject to change. “The decision made by the province offices could change, be amended or announced incorrectly.”
The centers and sites invalidated are in Herat, Balkh, Badakhshan, Takhar, Panjsher, Khost, Paktika and Bamiyan provinces. 16 polling centers and 13 sites in Herat; three centers in Balkh; three centers in Badakhshan; one site in Takhar; one centers in Panjshir; four centers in Khost; three centers in Paktika; and one center in Bamiyan.
There are 48 other centers quarantined; 32 in Paktia and 16 in Kunduz.
ECC provincial employees in Balkh explained the basis of their decision regarding the three centers.
“We literally saw people entering voting sites and filling boxes after the time for voting had ended,” Balkh ECC member Walid Ahmad Formuli said.
Some ECC staff have pointed blame at the IEC, arguing that ballot shortages on Election Day contributed to the fraud activities. However, the IEC has defended itself.
“We compensated for the hours when there were no ballot papers and the process was extended after 5pm too, but were the issues and the ECC has the authority to address them,” IEC Balkh regional office head Azatullah Arman said.
In a number of provinces ballot boxes from centers and sites have been isolated for further inspection. Recounts have also begun. The ECC's announcement on Monday is not expected to be the last regarding the discarding of fraudulent ballots.
Election observers have picked-up their criticisms of the election commissions in recent days as they have been denied the ability to monitor much of the vote counting and complaint investigation processes. No documentation of complaints has been provided for observers either.
“Procedures dictate when there is a complaint or evidence, it must be given to the observers, but unfortunately this is not happening,” election observer Zabiullah Fitrat said on Monday.