Independent National Electoral Commission (NCDC) has announced plans to fully introduce electronic voting (e-voting) in major elections starting from 2021.
INEC disclosed this in a document released on Monday in Abuja, tagged, ‘Policy on Conducting Elections in the Context of the Covid-19 Pandemic,’ and signed by its Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu.
The commission also decried the rising cost of elections in the country, saying it would liaise with the National Assembly to see how political parties can nominate replacements for dead representatives in order to prevent new voting process.
The nomination is line with a Supreme Court judgment that votes belong to the parties and not individuals.
INEC ruled out the deployment of the e-voting for Edo and Ondo states’ primaries in June and governorship elections in September and October respectively.
It stated that voters without face masks would not be permitted to vote in the forthcoming governorship elections in the states.
The commission said;
The most immediate challenge that COVID-19 poses to the electoral process is health related.
For the elections in Edo and Ondo, INEC also said face masks would be made compulsory for voters, electoral officials and everyone else at all election locations.
It added that;
Polling unit areas shall be redesigned to ensure substantial compliance with established protocols such as social distancing.
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.
INEC noted that personal protective equipment and other safety materials will provided for polling staff.
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