In preparation for the 2023 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released new guidelines for the election.
The new document titled Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections, 2022 covers matters of elections and arrangements for their conduct, accreditation, and voting procedure during elections, among others.
With the release of the Regulations and Guidelines, the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said the electoral commission has virtually concluded the planning processes for the 2023 general elections.
As the country prepares for the forthcoming general election, Dataphyte highlights some key parts of the new guidelines for all eligible voters as they set for the polls on February 25 and March 11, 2023.
Who is Eligible to Vote?
Again, the electoral commission has emphasised in the new guidelines that only individuals who register and present a valid Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) at their polling units will be eligible to vote at the election.
In view of this, all eligible voters (those 18 years and above) are encouraged to register for their PVC before the end of the deadline.
To register for a new PVC, Dataphyte’s report on simple steps to register for PVC comes in handy. For voters who registered in the last general election but have changed location, this report also provides a step on how to successfully transfer your PVC to your new location to be able to vote in the 2023 elections.
Accreditation and Voting Procedure
On election day, accreditation and voting is to commence at 8:30 am and is scheduled to close at 2:30 pm. The accreditation process will include the checking of the PVC of the voter; positive identification of the voter in the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS); authentication of the voter by matching their fingerprints or face (facial recognition) using the BVAS; positive identification of the voter in the Register of Voters; among others.
According to INEC, voting at the upcoming election will only be in accordance with the Continuous Accreditation and Voting System (CAVS) procedure specified in its new Regulations and Guidelines, the Election Manual, and any other Guide issued by it. Thus, voters are to ensure that they know their polling units and check the Register of Voters that will be released by the commission to confirm that their name is on the Register, as INEC stated that no voter would be allowed to cast their vote in any polling unit other than the one where they are registered or assigned.
Also, INEC noted in the new guidelines that the BVAS will be used to verify the PVC of all eligible voters before they cast their votes.
Where a voter cannot be identified by the BVAS using all the methods outlined in the new Regulations and Guidelines or where the voter’s fingerprint or face cannot be matched with the details in the BVAS, after 3 trials, the electoral commission said that such a voter would not be allowed to vote.
Do’s and Don’t
Another critical thing to note in the new guideline is the prohibition of telephones and other electronic devices.
According to INEC, voters may come to the polling unit with telephones and other electronic devices. However, phones are not allowed in the voting cubicles nor can they be used to take pictures of other voters while voting.
Voters are also disallowed from making any mark on the ballot paper for any form of identification. According to INEC, if any voter does so, such ballot papers will be rejected.
While all eligible voters are encouraged to acquaint themselves with these new guidelines, it is pertinent to state that the only way for them to exercise their voting power is to register for their PVC and show up on election day ready to abide by the rules, to cast their votes.