Printing of Referendum
Ballots Begins
The Tribunal Supremo de
Elecciones (TSE)
yesterday officials
began the printing of
the 2.708.365 voting
ballots for the October
7 referendum on the
Tratado de Libre
Comercio (TLC) - free
trade deal with the
United States.
The voting ballot will
offer voters the choice
to vote "Si" or "No".
Luis Antonio Sobrado,
president of the TSE,
said that this the most
visible important work
of the Tribunal.
The TLC vote is being
seen with "great
enthusiasm" by Sobrado
and the TSE because the
polls indicate a large
number of people, much
higher than the required
40%, to cast their vote.
The printing is done by
the Imprenta Nacional
(national printing
press) at a cost of ¢4.7
million colones.
The ballots are printed
in black and white, save
for the Costa Rican
shield and TSE logo
which will be in colour.
The move is away from
the tradition of full
colour ballots used for
presidential elections,
where party colours are
used by many voters to
cast their vote.
The printing of the
ballots, including the
printing of 268.000
"sample" ballots to be
use for demonstration
purposes during the
process, will take two
weeks and employ 185
people.
Since yesterday and
until the last ballot is
printed, packed and
shipped to the TSE, the
Imprenta Nacional is
under the watchful eye
of the Fuerza Pública
(police) who have the
responsibility of
security of the voting
ballots.
Once the printing is
finished, the ballots
are then shipped to the
offices of the TSE,
where they will be kept
under strict security
until distributed to the
4.932 voting stations
across the country. |
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