From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The International Republican Institute (IRI) and National Democratic Institute (NDI), have implored the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) redesign voting cubicle to guarantee ballot secrecy and enhance accessibility to persons with disabilities.
The organisations also tasked INEC to develop realistic timelines and an operational framework that ensure timely opening of polling stations and even distribution of materials across polling units.
International Observers led by Joyce Banda, at press briefing yesterday in Abuja, tasked the electoral umpire to engage in proactive, transparent communications and outreach to Nigerians related to electoral developments.
Banda, who was Malawian president, said INEC should address network connectivity limitations to ensure that all results can be electronically transmitted from BVAS at the polling unit level should conduct national stress tests to better anticipate and address challenges that could occur on election day.
“These recommendations are made in good faith to mitigate the potential for voter disenfranchisement, protect Nigeria’s democracy, and support and amplify the voices of Nigerian citizens as they work to deepen and strengthen their democratic institutions and practices
“INEC should develop realistic timelines and an operational framework that ensure timely opening of polling stations and even distribution of materials across polling units, targeting specific resources to areas with historic patterns of delayed openings equitably units and consider adjusting the number of poll workers assigned to each polling unit based on registered voters to reduce the time spent waiting in queues and completing ballot sorting and counting processes Poll workers should receive better and recurrent training to ensure that the election procedures are evenly applied across the country, including use of the BVAS.
“INEC should engage in proactive, regular and transparent communications and outreach to the Nigerian public and relevant stakeholders related to electoral developments, electoral delays, cancellations, etc, and make such information immediately available on its website.
“INEC should consider redesigning the voting cubicle to guarantee ballot secrecy and enhance accessibility to PWDs.
“Lawmakers and INEC should work together to ensure contingency funding that can inoculate against economic and ether unanticipated crises.
“INEC should ensure results images are uploaded to its IReV portal immediately as they are received, and provide complete and timely polling unit level results on the IReV portal in a machine-analyzable and bulk format (such as a CSV file), as well as the local government area (LGA) and state results forms
“INEC should address network connectivity limitations to ensure that all results can be electronically transmitted from the BVAS at the polling unit level, and should conduct national stress tests to better anticipate and address challenges that could occur on election day.
“INEC should post polling unit level PVC data well before elections and in an open data format, to ensure transparency on information necessary to verify turnout and re-runs in cases of cancellation.
“INEC should take measures to reduce the burden on voters to register and collect their PVC. including extending timelines, increasing the number of distribution centers, employing mobile units, and targeting outreach to marginalized groups and voters with limited mobility.
“INEC should conduct a thorough and transparent audit of the voters roll, ensuring that there are not multiple and double registrants or underage and deceased persons on the roll,” she said.