2019: INEC Promises More Voting Points

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has disclosed that it would create voting points out of polling units that have over 1,000 registered voters during next year’s elections.

The commission also said it had enhanced its smart card readers for better performance during the polls, adding that accreditation and voting would be done simultaneously.

Speaking on Wednesday, at a two-day workshop organised by the American Embassy in Abuja, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of Voter Education, Barr. Festus Okoye, explained that the voting points were for convenience and administrative purposes.

“If any polling unit has up to 1,000 registered voters, INEC will create another voting unit out of it. The voting point will be close to the polling unit and this is for convenience and administrative purposes. This will not create any confusion or challenge to the voters.

“INEC will not use incidence form this time. If the card reader is not able to capture the biometrics, the card reader will recapture the voter in order for him or her to get accreditation and vote because INEC has enhanced the operations of the card reader for better performance,” he also said.

Barr. Okoye also stated that INEC was preparing to transmit results electronically, adding that though the Electoral Act Amendment Bill was yet to be signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari, the commission was working towards implementing it in the event it is signed at the eleventh hour.

He, however, said the electoral body was having a challenge in creating voting points in areas where communal clashes were persistent and cited a community in Rivers State as an instance.