Organisation : Independent National Election Commission
Facility : Frequently Asked Questions On The Electoral Process
Country : Nigeria
Frequently Asked Questions On The Electoral Process : https://www.inecnigeria.org/
Home Page : http://www.inecnigeria.org/
Frequently Asked Questions On The Electoral Process :
VOTER REGISTRATION/CVR/PVC:
62. Q. What is Voter Registration?
Ans. Voter Registration is the process of recording details such as names, age, fingerprints, address and photographs of people eligible to vote.
63. Q. What is biometric voter registration?
Ans. Biometric voter registration is the capturing of voters’ unique personal/physical details, i.e. name, address, fingerprints and photographs and thereafter, issuing an authenticated voter’s card to the registrant.
64. Q. What is the meaning of CVR?
Ans. Continuous Voter Registration.
65. Q. What is the meaning of PVC?
Ans. Permanent Voter’s Card.
66. Q. Where can a person register to become a voter?
Ans. INEC designated centre nearest to his/her place of residence during the continuous voter registration (CVR) exercise.
67. Q. What are the requirements to register as a voter?
Ans. A person shall be qualified to be registered as a voter if he/she:
is a citizen of Nigeria;
has attained the age of eighteen (18) years;
is ordinarily resident, work in, originate from the LGA, council, ward covered by the registration centre;
presents himself to the registration officers of the Commission for registration as a voter;
is not subject to any incapacity to vote under any law in Nigeria.
68. Q. How many times can an individual register?
Ans. The Electoral Act 2010 as amended, allows an individual to register only once and only at one centre.
69. Q. Can I register at a centre other than the one assigned by INEC?
Ans. No. It is an offence to carry out registration at a centre or place not designated by INEC.
70. Q. Can persons living with disability register as voters?
Ans. Yes. The 1999 Constitution allows for people living with disability to be registered if they are eighteen (18) years or above and are citizens of Nigeria.
71. Q. Can a person register for anyone who has attained the age of 18 years but who is not around to present himself physically to the officials?
Ans. No. Each person intending to register as a voter must appear in person before registration officials at designated centres. There is no registration by proxy.
72. Q. Why can’t the registration of voters’ exercise continue till a week before the date of election?
Ans. According to law, registration of voters and the update or review of the voters’ lists must stop at least thirty (30) days before any election and the register to be used for the election must be certified.
73. Q. How can I know that my name is in the register of voters?
Ans:
I: You should check for your name during the display of voters’ register.
II: Check the INEC website i.e. www.inecnigeria.org. It is a platform for checking your registration status.
III: You can check by sending a text message to this number, 08171646879.Text Format: State (space) last name (space) last five digits of your VIN. Example: Abia Chukwudi 54321.
74. Q. What information is contained in the PVC?
Ans. The PVC stores information such as biometric data i.e. physical attributes, thumbprint, etc. It protects the information stored in the card. The information on the PVCs are electronically programmed and can only be read /assessed electronically with a card reader.
75.Q. Who are those qualified to register during the CVR exercise?
Ans.
Adults who are eighteen (18) years and above, who are ordinarily resident, work in, originate from the Local Government Area Council or Ward covered by the registration centre and have not registered before;
Those who had registered but whose names are not found in the biometric Register of Voters (distribution list) during the display of the register/distribution of PVC; and
Those who have just turned eighteen (18) years.
76. Q. What am I to bring along during the CVR?
Ans. a. Birth or baptismal certificate;
b. National Passport, Identity Card or Driver’s License; or
c. Any other document that could prove the identity,
age and nationality of the applicant.
77. Q. What do I need to have to collect my Permanent Voter’s Card?
Ans. You need to present your Temporary Voter’s Card to the INEC Officials in order to collect your PVC.
78. Q. What if I cannot find my Temporary Voter’s Card?
Ans. Verify your name on the distribution list during the distribution of PVC or at your INEC LGA Office afterwards. If your name is on the register, you will be required to fill an attestation form to enable you collect your PVC.
79. Q. What if I have my Temporary Voter’s Card but my name is not on the register?
Ans. You will be required to fill an incident form and if you are cleared by the officials, you will be issued with the PVC.
80. Q. Can anyone be prevented from registering, e.g. husband stopping wife or father preventing child?
Ans. No. It is an offence to prevent any eligible registrant from registering.
81. Q. What is the meaning of PRV?
Ans. Preliminary Register of Voters. It is a register that contains the names and other details of registrants who have just been registered.
82. Q. What is Display?
Ans. It is a process of making the PRV available to the public (exhibition) for necessary correction (claims and objections).
83. Q. What are claims and objections?
Ans. A claim is a process of alerting the Commission during display that the name of a person who had registered to vote has been omitted from the register or is not properly spelt;
Objection is to disagree with the Commission on the inclusion in the PRV of the name of a person on the ground that he/she is not qualified to be registered.
84. Q. What can a person do if his/her name, sex or age is wrongly entered in the voters’ register?
Ans. The person should write to the Commission within the stipulated period (5 to 14 days) stating the complaint and requesting necessary correction to be made.
85. Q. What is the purpose of the PRV?
Ans. A copy of the PRV is displayed to enable the public study (scrutinize) the register during which any objection or complaint in relation to the names omitted or included in the voters’ register or any necessary correction is raised or filed.
86. Q. How many days can the PRV be displayed for claims and objections?
Ans. Between Five (5), to fourteen (14) days.
D. TRANSFER OF REGISTRATION OF VOTERS/REPLACEMENT OF LOST OR DAMAGED VOTERS’CARDS
87. Q. What can a person do if his/her voter’s card is lost or damaged?
Ans. You apply in person to the Electoral Officer of your LGA/Area Council for a replacement of the lost/damaged voter’s card. This must be done not later than thirty 30 days before the election. You will be required to pay a processing fee.
88. Q. Can a person have more than one voter’s card?
Ans. No. You can only have one valid voter’s card at a time. During transfer or replacement of damaged voter’s card, the old one will be retrieved from you before a new one is issued. A voter whose card is lost or damaged will be issued a voter’s card with DUPLICATE written on it.
89. Q. Under what conditions can a voter’s registration be transferred from one point to another?
Ans. Relocation to another constituency. Where the voter now resides in another constituency/unit and has applied for transfer on time i.e. more than thirty (30) days to the election.
90. Q. Is it possible to transfer a voter’s registration from one state to another or one area within a state to another?
Ans. Yes, through the following steps:
Apply to INEC more than 30 days before election.
Write an application for transfer to the Resident Electoral Commissioner through the Electoral Officer of your LGA/Area Council (your present location where you want to be transferred to). Your original voter’s card must be attached to the application if it is Inter-State Transfer; or
Go to the online address below for a guide on transfer of registered voters: https://www.inecnigeria.org/
Call 07098117563, 07098110916.
91. Q. How long does it take for the Commission to process application for transfer?
Ans. It will take a maximum of seven (7) days. The Electoral Officer will get in touch with the applicant when the process is completed for collection of his/her voter’s card.
92. Q. After a person’s registration has been transferred, can he/she still vote in his/her former Polling Unit?
Ans. No. After the transfer, the name will be deleted from the list of the former constituency. You can only vote in your new constituency.
93. Q. If an applicant who registered in Lagos wants to be involved in electing the governor in his/her home state, can he/she use his/her voter’s card for that purpose?
Ans. No. Unless he/she transfers his/her registration details to his/her state and is issued another voter’s card to that effect. Voters are only permitted by law to vote at polling units where they were registered and their names displayed.