The recount of votes for Region One was completed today in 98 of the 99 ballot boxes with the lone exception being a ballot box that was discovered drenched in rain water that had seeped into the storage container.

The ballot box was opened this morning in the presence of party agents and all of its contents were soaked.

GECOM Commissioner Vincent Alexander said efforts were being made to “dry off” the contents including ballot papers to see if they could get the information from them.

He said he is unsure of what process will have to be examined in the absence of the Commission being able to salvage the documents.

He said while the practical thing to do might be to go back to the original statement of poll for that particular ballot box, that could be problematic since the current process is a recount with the declaration of information from the final count.

Eyebrows were raised on the first day of the recount when the ballot box was noticed full of water. It was not opened immediately but attempts were made to drain the water out through the small opening in the cover.

The Commission is likely to deliberate on the issue at one of its upcoming meetings.

Related posts:

GECOM to tabulate votes from ballot boxes with missing documents GECOM decides not to tabulate ballot boxes with missing official documents at this time; DROs a no show for meeting on the issue GECOM to meet on East Coast ballot boxes with no statutory documents Lack of ID Card will not prevent registered voters from casting their ballot -GECOM