2019 polls: Transparent voting gets boost as Reps okay card reader

…Prohibits manual register for voters’ accreditation,
…voids electronic voting
…Candidate with false affidavit risk disqualification
Transparent voting gets a boost on Thursday as the House of Representatives okayed the use of smart card reader for accreditation of voters during the 2019 polls.

The lawmakers also prohibited the use of manual register for the accreditation of voters.

The House also voided the use of electronic method of voting at the same election.

These were some of the major highlights passed by the House when it considered the report of a bill for an Act to amend the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2010, to further improve the electoral process.

Considering the report at the committee of the whole chaired by Deputy Speaker Hon Yussuf Lasun, the House further resolved that where a candidate provides false information or falsehood on his affidavit, the candidate and not the party stands disqualified by the court from participating in the election.

On use of the smart card reader deployed for accreditation of voters, the House said in the event the card reader fails at any polling unit, the presiding officer shall suspend the election and order for the conduct of the poll within 24 hours.

According to the House, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) shall keep its register of voters at its national headquarters, states and local government headquarters and not in any other locations, like in the Central Bank and other security vaults.

Furthermore, the House said that henceforth in the event of the death of a governorship candidate, the affected party shall within 10 days conduct fresh primaries to choose another candidate and submit the name of the successful and new flag-bearer to INEC.

The House retained some provisions in the principal Act, such that the presiding officer shall count and announce the results of an election at the polling unit, while commissioners who deliberately cancel elections and results shall be sanctioned.

The lawmakers however, postponed the consideration of some grey areas contained in the bill till next week.