INEC Migrates Voters from Populated Polling Units to Prevent Congestion

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained that the migration of some voters from more populated to less populated polling units is to prevent the congestion that usually makes voting cumbersome on election day.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Oyo State, Dr Adeniran Tella, stated this while briefing newsmen on the activities of the Commission in the state, as regards the redistribution of some voters to new polling units.

The REC recalled that the Commission had, in 2021, successfully expanded voter access to polling units from the initial number of 4,783 by converting the then 1,607 voting points into full fledged polling units that now make the total number of 6,390 polling units in the state.

Tella stated: “The Commission, in exercising its powers under Section 40(2) of the Electoral Act, 2022 has allotted voters from overcrowded polling units within the same axis to promote a more pleasant and stress free voting experience on election day. The exercise requires that redistribution of voters to new polling units has been done in proximate locations.

“In other words, the Commission has moved some voters from populated to less populated polling units. This is to make up to the threshold of 750 voters per polling unit, putting into consideration their proximity from one another on election day,” he disclosed.

Tella also pointed out that the name of the polling units with migrated voters had already been pasted in all the affected 28 Local Government Areas of the state, comprising 815 polling units, so as to see and at the same time be well informed ahead of the polls.

He said the exercise, which was done in consultation with all the stakeholders in the electioneering process, would allow for transparency in the electoral process ahead of the forthcoming elections.

The REC noted that eligible voters could also visit the INEC voters’ verification system on www.cvr.inecnigeria.org/vvs or voters.inecnigeria.org to check their names on the register of voters and could, at the same time, confirm the location of their polling units, where they would vote on election day.

Tella used the opportunity of the briefing to reiterate that, the use of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), for voter accreditation and verification on election day, had come to stay.

He further stated that the use of INEC Result Viewing Portal (IRev) to upload polling units’ results using www.inecelectionresults.ng to view the uploaded election results had become part of the new technology of the Commission, urging all eligible voters to come out to vote on election day with their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs).

Tella hinted that the Commission would soon come up with an update on the total number of registered voters for the coming elections, including the total number of collected and uncollected PVCs in the state.

He implored the people of the state to cooperate with the Commission to ensure hitch free, credible and inclusive general elections in the state.

N.O