{"id":12746,"date":"2022-12-24T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-24T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/?p=12746"},"modified":"2022-12-23T12:26:01","modified_gmt":"2022-12-23T11:26:01","slug":"2023-elections-ten-questions-about-accreditation-and-voting-on-election-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/2023-elections-ten-questions-about-accreditation-and-voting-on-election-day\/","title":{"rendered":"2023 elections: Ten questions about accreditation and voting on election day"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Image of electoral official counting votes cast. Photo credit: Vanguard<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aside from corruption, unfulfilled promises and a host of other violations, improper voter education is said to be another reason there is voter apathy in Nigeria<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2023 general elections will hold in less th<\/a>an seventy days, and it is crucial that, as a voter, one is adequately informed.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, this article answers ten questions that you may have concerning accreditation and the voting process on election day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. What time will accreditation and voting commence?<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    As approved by INEC, all polling units are expected to be open for accreditation and voting processes by 8 o’clock in the morning. And by 2 o’clock in the afternoon, the poll is expected to close. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    However, if there are still people in the queue before that time, the Presiding Officer (PO) can ask a security officer to stand behind the last person in the line to prevent more voters from joining the queue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Who would be allowed to vote?<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Provided that a prospective voter is a Nigerian citizen who is not less than eighteen years of age, duly registered and possesses a permanent voter’s card (PVC), such as the right to cast his\/her vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Contrarily, if a voter meets the above requirements but goes to a polling unit where he\/she has not registered, the Independent National Electoral Commission<\/a> (INEC) has said that such a voter shall not be permitted to vote. Rather, he\/she shall be redirected to his\/her appropriate polling unit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      1. What is accreditation like?<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        As the word suggests, accredit<\/a>ation is the process of identifying voters who are qualified to vote. In other words, it involves the activities that INEC will conduct to verify if you are eligible before giving you the \u201cgo-ahead\u201d to cast your vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \"\"
        A male voter being accredited with the BVAS. Photo: The Cable.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

        As stated in the new Electoral Act, the accreditation process shall comprise the reading of your permanent voter\u2019s card (PVC) and authentication of your fingerprint using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS). Following that, your name will be checked on the voters’ register. If found, it will be ticked, and an indelible ink will be applied to the cuticle of your finger. This is proof that you have been fully accredited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        1. What is the voting procedure? <\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

          After the accreditation is completed, you shall be given a ballot paper that is signed, stamped and dated by the Presiding Officer. Next, you shall be asked to proceed to a cubicle provided. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          At this stage, INEC permits voters living with a disability to be assisted by a person he\/she has chosen. Also, if available, assistive facilities<\/a> would be given to visually impaired voters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \"\"
          A female voter casting her votes. Photo: Premium Times.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

          At the cubicle, you shall choose by pressing your inked thumb against your preferred party\/candidate on the ballot paper. Thereafter, you will roll the ballot paper inwardly, flatten it and drop it into the appropriate ballot box. All of these must be done in \u201copen secrecy<\/a>,\u201d in accordance with section 50(1) of the new Electoral Act<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Afterwards, you are expected to \u201cleave the Polling Unit or wait if you so choose, in an orderly and peaceful manner, to watch the process up to the declaration of result.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          1. Can I mark my ballot papers with anything I like?<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

            Asides from the indelible ink provided by INEC, if any other item (such as a pen and pencil) is used to mark the ballot paper, the such a vote will be rendered void.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            However, if by accident, you deal with your ballot paper in such a manner that it may not be conveniently used for voting, you may present it to the Presiding Officer. If he\/she is satisfied that the ballot paper is spoiled, he\/she shall issue another to you in place of the ballot paper delivered. Immediately, the spoilt ballot paper shall be marked cancelled by the PO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            1. Can I help my friend to vote?<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

              No, INEC does not permit you to vote on behalf of another person. It is termed \u201cimpersonation.\u201d If caught doing that, you will be arrested by the police and charged in a court of law.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              The same is true if the PO reasonably believes an intending voter is under eighteen. This is in accordance with section 57(1) of the new electoral act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \"\"
              A woman privately thumbing her ballot paper inside a cubicle. Photo: IFRA NIGERIA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
              1. Can I shout my party slogan at the polling unit?<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                Section 94(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 directs every political campaign to commence 150 days before polling day and end 24 hours before the voting day. Meanwhile, shouting your party slogan at the election ground will be interpreted as you campaigning. Therefore, you are not permitted to do this or use other methods to lobby for votes on election day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                1. Can I vote for two or more candidates?<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                  No, you cannot. Section 51(1) of the Electoral Act says, \u201cNo voter shall vote for more than one candidate or record more than one vote in favour of any candidate at any one election.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  1. Can I use my telephone inside the cubicle?<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                    No. The Electoral Act prohibits using telephones or other electronic devices near or within the voting cubicle. This is to curb electoral malpractices.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    \"\"
                    Police arrest man for malpractice at Ondo gubernatorial election. Photo: Punch Newspapers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
                    1. What happens if the result is more than accredited voters?<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                      Section 51(2) of the new Electoral Act provides that where the number of votes cast at an election in any polling unit exceeds the number of accredited voters in that polling unit, the Presiding officer shall cancel the result of the election in that polling unit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                      Image of electoral official counting votes cast. Photo credit: Vanguard Aside from corruption, unfulfilled promises and a host of other violations, improper voter education is said to be another reason there is voter apathy in Nigeria. The 2023 general elections will hold in less than seventy days, and it is crucial that, as a voter, one is adequately informed.\u00a0 Therefore, this article answers ten questions that you may have concerning accreditation and the voting process on election day. What time will accreditation and voting commence? As approved by INEC, all polling units are expected to be open for accreditation and voting processes by 8 o’clock in the morning. And by 2 o’clock in the afternoon, the poll is expected to close.  However, if there are still people in the queue before that time, the Presiding Officer (PO) can ask a security officer to stand behind the last person in the line to prevent more voters from joining the queue. Who would be allowed to vote? Provided that a prospective voter is a Nigerian citizen who is not less than eighteen years of age, duly registered and possesses a permanent voter’s card (PVC), such as the right to cast his\/her vote. Contrarily, if a voter meets the above requirements but goes to a polling unit where he\/she has not registered, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that such a voter shall not be permitted to vote. Rather, he\/she shall be redirected to his\/her appropriate polling unit. What is accreditation like? As the word suggests, accreditation is the process of identifying voters who are qualified to vote. In other words, it involves the activities that INEC will conduct to verify if you are eligible before giving you the \u201cgo-ahead\u201d to cast your vote. As stated in the new Electoral Act, the accreditation process shall comprise the reading of your permanent voter\u2019s card (PVC) and authentication of your fingerprint using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS). Following that, your name will be checked on the voters’ register. If found, it will be ticked, and an indelible ink will be applied to the cuticle of your finger. This is proof that you have been fully accredited. What is the voting procedure?  After the accreditation is completed, you shall be given a ballot paper that is signed, stamped and dated by the Presiding Officer. Next, you shall be asked to proceed to a cubicle provided.  At this stage, INEC permits voters living with a disability to be assisted by a person he\/she has chosen. Also, if available, assistive facilities would be given to visually impaired voters. At the cubicle, you shall choose by pressing your inked thumb against your preferred party\/candidate on the ballot paper. Thereafter, you will roll the ballot paper inwardly, flatten it and drop it into the appropriate ballot box. All of these must be done in \u201copen secrecy,\u201d in accordance with section 50(1) of the new Electoral Act. Afterwards, you are expected to \u201cleave the Polling Unit or wait if you so choose, in an orderly and peaceful manner, to watch the process up to the declaration of result.\u201d Can I mark my ballot papers with anything I like? Asides from the indelible ink provided by INEC, if any other item (such as a pen and pencil) is used to mark the ballot paper, the such a vote will be rendered void.\u00a0 However, if by accident, you deal with your ballot paper in such a manner that it may not be conveniently used for voting, you may present it to the Presiding Officer. If he\/she is satisfied that the ballot paper is spoiled, he\/she shall issue another to you in place of the ballot paper delivered. Immediately, the spoilt ballot paper shall be marked cancelled by the PO. Can I help my friend to vote? No, INEC does not permit you to vote on behalf of another person. It is termed \u201cimpersonation.\u201d If caught doing that, you will be arrested by the police and charged in a court of law.\u00a0 The same is true if the PO reasonably believes an intending voter is under eighteen. This is in accordance with section 57(1) of the new electoral act. Can I shout my party slogan at the polling unit? Section 94(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 directs every political campaign to commence 150 days before polling day and end 24 hours before the voting day. Meanwhile, shouting your party slogan at the election ground will be interpreted as you campaigning. Therefore, you are not permitted to do this or use other methods to lobby for votes on election day. Can I vote for two or more candidates? No, you cannot. Section 51(1) of the Electoral Act says, \u201cNo voter shall vote for more than one candidate or record more than one vote in favour of any candidate at any one election.\u201d Can I use my telephone inside the cubicle? No. The Electoral Act prohibits using telephones or other electronic devices near or within the voting cubicle. This is to curb electoral malpractices.\u00a0 What happens if the result is more than accredited voters? Section 51(2) of the new Electoral Act provides that where the number of votes cast at an election in any polling unit exceeds the number of accredited voters in that polling unit, the Presiding officer shall cancel the result of the election in that polling unit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12747,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"hannibal_claim_source":"","hannibal_source_label":"","hannibal_card_color":"blue","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"","_twitter_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type":"","_pinterest_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"","_medium_share_type":"","_threads_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_bluesky_share_type":"","_mastodon_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[5,4],"tags":[],"verdict":[],"ppma_author":[3009],"class_list":["post-12746","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-elections","category-featured"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8R6dE-3jA","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"authors":[{"term_id":3009,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"sunday-awosoro","display_name":"Sunday Awosoro","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&r=g","author_category":"","user_url":"","last_name":"","first_name":"","job_title":"","description":""}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Votes.jpeg?fit=600%2C400&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12746","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12746"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12746\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12748,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12746\/revisions\/12748"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12747"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12746"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12746"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12746"},{"taxonomy":"verdict","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/verdict?post=12746"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=12746"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}