ASK INEC > Election Procedures

ELECTION PROCEDURES

1. What is the process on voting day?
   
   
2. What system of voting will be used?
   
   
3. Are the ballot boxes transparent?
   
   
4. Are the ballot papers for the different elections different colours?
   
   
5. What basic security arrangement will be in place at the polling centres?
   
   
6. Are any measures in place to ensure that the ballot boxes are not tampered with while in transit to collation centres?
   
   
7. How is the winner of the election decided ?
   
   
8. Under what circumstance is a run-off election conducted?
   
   
9. What determines the winner during a run-off election?
   
   
10. What happens when there is no clear winner in an initial run-off elections ?
    
    
11. When are the votes counted?
    
    
12. When and how will the final result be announced?
    
    
13. What constitutes electoral offences?

1. What is the process on voting day?
   

   The voter who presents himself to poll officials in order to vote shall undergo the followings procedure:

   •  His name and number shall be checked in the register by the Poll Clerk

   •  The Poll Clerk shall mark the register to indicate that his name is therein. The marking shall be done according to the type of election e.g. National Assembly Election (NAE), Governorship Election (DRC). The Poll Clerk shall then stamp the back of the voter's card, sign and write the date of the election therein.

   •  The Poll Assistant shall apply indelible ink to the appropriate finger of the voter's left hand depending on the type of election.

   •  The Presiding Officer will then issue the voter a ballot paper in readiness for voting.

   •  The voter shall leave the polling station immediately after casting his/her vote.
   
   
   
   

2. What system of voting will be used?
   The voting system approved by the Commission is the Open-Secret Ballot System (OSBS).
   
   
   
   
   
3. Are the ballot boxes transparent?
   The ballot box currently use is transparent. The ballots cast can therefore be seen by any person observing the process.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Are the ballot papers for the different elections different colours?
   Yes. The ballot papers will be different in colours to assist non- literate voters to distinguish between one, election and another. During the Governorship and Presidential elections which are scheduled for the same day, this will be very helpful.
   
   
   
   
   
5. What basic security arrangement will be in place at the polling centres?
   INEC is working in collaboration with the Security Agencies to provide security cover to its men and materials at all the 120,000 polling centre located nation-wide. The arrangement is intended to forestall any violent disruption of polling. It will also forestall forceful removal of ballot boxes from the polling centres. Security will also be provided at all counting/collation centres.
   
   
   
   
   
6. Are any measures in place to ensure that the ballot boxes are not tampered with while in transit to collation centres?
   . INEC ballot boxes have automatic locks which cannot be unlocked when in transit to the counting/collating centres.
   
   . Once polling is rounded off at the polling centre, the Presiding Officer drops the key into the ballot box and uses the automatic lock to lock it.
   
   . The box is unlocked only at the collation/counting point. The ballot boxes are accompanied by security and party agents to the collating centre.
   
   
   
   
   
7. How is the winner of the election decided ?
   The decision as to the winner of any election depends on the election type. . The winner of an election to the State House of Assembly or to the National Assembly is decided by a simple majority of votes scored by a candidate in that election. . Governorship and Presidential winners are decided when a candidate scores the highest number of votes at that election arid not less than one quarter of all votes cast in each of at least two-third of the Local Government areas of a state or of all the states of the federation and FCT as the case may be.
   
   
   
   
   
8. Under what circumstance is a run-off election conducted?
   In the event of no clear winner as stipulated the preceding sub- paragraph, then there will be a run-off election. This procedure is applicable where two or more candidates contesting. It is applicable only to the Office of President, Governors and Chairmen of Area Councils.
   
   
   
   
   
9. What determines the winner during a run-off election?
   The winner is the person who has highest number of votes cast at the election with: Not less than 1/4 of the votes cast in at least 2/3 of the states and the FCT i.e. 24 states.
   
   
   
   
   
   
10. What happens when there is no clear winner in an initial run-off elections ?
    In the event of no clear winner as stipulated above, then there will be a run-off election between the candidate with the highest number of votes at the election and One among the remaining candidates who has a majority of votes in the highest number of states; i.e. the two candidates for the runoff will be the candidates with the highest number of votes and the other with the highest spread.
    

    In the advent of a second run-off election, the winner be the candidate with the majority of votes at that election.
    
    
    
    
    

11. When are the votes counted?
    Votes cast at all elections are first sorted out and counted by the Presiding Officers at the polling centre level. Total votes scored by each candidate in that polling centre is also announced to the hearing of all present.
    
    
    
    
    
    
12. When and how will the final result be announced?
    Elections results for the State House of Assembly are announced by the Constituency Returning Officer after all results have been collated from the wards at the Local Government level.
    
    . Results for the National Assembly elections are announced after being collated at the level of ward, Local Government area and Federal Constituency level by the Federal Constituency Returning Officer.
    
    . Election results for Senatorial election are collated at all levels culminating into collation at the Senatorial district level. The Senatorial District Returning Officer then announces the results.
    
    . Election result for Governorship elections are announced by the State Returning Officer after collation at all levels.
    
    . Election results for Presidential election are announced by the Chief Electoral Officer of the Federation.
    
    
    
    
    
    
13. What constitutes electoral offences?
    Under Section 120 of the Electoral Act, 2002, the following acts amount to dereliction of duty on the part of the election officials and are punishable by imprisonment or fine or both:
    . Failure to discharge their lawful duties
    
    . Failure to report for duty promptly at their polling stations or collation centres on Election Day without lawful excuse.
    
    . Recording, announcing or publishing an election result