COVID-19: INEC Proposes E-Voting, Other Major Changes To Elections

Against the backcloth of lifestyle changes necessitated by precautionary measures against the COVID-19 pandemic, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, says it will work towards the full introduction of electronic voting in major Nigerian elections, starting from 2021.

For the governorship elections due in Edo and Ondo later this year, INEC said the use of face masks would be made compulsory for voters, electoral officials and everyone else at all election venues, disclosing that the polling unit areas shall be redesigned to ensure substantial compliance with established protocols such as social distancing.

This was contained in a new policy guideline on the conduct of elections released in Abuja on Monday with the title: “Policy on Conducting Elections in the Context of the Covid-19 Pandemic” and signed by the electoral commission’s Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

INEC said it will not only pilot the use of e-voting machines at the earliest possible time after the forthcoming Edo and Ondo governorship elections, but will also “work towards the full introduction of electronic voting in major elections starting from 2021.”

AllNews recalls that an electoral act amendment bill seeking to make e-voting compulsory in elections passed for Second Reading at the Senate last November. Most Nigerians have made a strong case for the adoption of e-voting as a way of mitigating challenges confronting the conduct of elections in the country.

The commission added that it will regularly clean up the biometric register of voters while continuous voter registration is suspended “for the time being to prevent the health risks associated with it in the context of COVID-19.”

Also in the policy, INEC decried the rising cost of elections in the country, saying it would be liaising with the National Assembly to see how political parties can nominate replacements for dead representatives in line with a Supreme Court judgment that votes belong to the parties and not individuals.

“In order to accommodate additional activities in setting up the PU due to COVID-19, polls shall now commence at 8.30 am and close at 2.30 pm,” the commission also said, adding that personal protective equipment and other safety materials shall be provided for polling staff.

It said infrared thermometers will be used at the various collation centres, alcohol-based hand sanitisers at the polling units for election officials while methylated spirit and cotton wool will be provided for the disinfection of the smart card readers after the fingerprint of each voter is read.