iii. Freedom of Media The media must provide balanced reporting without fear or favour. The National Press Council must manage these practices. v. Lack of Preparation and Coordination by the Election Commission a) The EC must provide proper training for the officers assisting in the polling process to ensure that the process is done efficiently and smoothly. b) The EC must ensure uniformity in its rules and regulations and that the officers are briefed accordingly to avoid variations in their conduct. CHAPTER 2 iv. Checking ballot boxes The EC should ensure that all election officers follow the time set to check the contents of the ballot boxes. vi. Polling day a) Clerks carrying out tasks in each channel should be on a rotation system so that those working the morning session and the evening session are different persons. This is to avoid the clerks from experiencing fatigue. Having started the day so early, they could get careless or forget the SOP to examine the voters’ fingers and compare their faces with their identification card photograph. b) The feedback that EC officers received indicated a possibility the Clerks may be fatigued from being overworked and want to complete the task as quickly as possible. c) Besides Clerks, members of the police guarding the polling centres, too, should take turns to be posted in the morning or evening sessions to prevent fatigue. They commenced their watch as early as 3 am and have to stay at the same spot until the process ends. d) Heads of Polling Centres, Clerks and other election workers should be given training in following the SOPs. ANNUAL REPORT 2020 81