We have distributed 1.5million pvc's to Bauchi. INEC reveals

By Suzan Edeh

B auchi-The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has said that it had so far distributed about 1.5 million of Permanent Voters' Cards, PVCs, to registered voters in Bauchi State.

The Administrative Secretary of INEC in the state, Mr Emmanuel Umenger who spoke said that the figure represented about 83.85 per cent of registered voters in the state.

He spoke yesterday in Bauchi while speaking on the commission's preparedness for the forthcoming general election, pointing out that the remaining 16.15 per cent would be distributed at the wards in the various local government areas of the state.

He said INEC had decided to decentralise the distribution of the PVCs to ensure that, all registered voters received theirs before the polls.

According to Mr Umenger, INEC had started receiving non-sensitive materials like ballot boxes meant for the presidential election while those for governorship and other elections would be received soon.

He said: " INEC in its attempt to fast-track the process of accreditation which is usually burdensome is going to deploy card-readers which are hand-held devices that has the ability to accredit a registered voter within two minutes.

"Once you come to the polling unit with your card, the device will scan it and all the data will shown on the screen. It is a very small device that enables the voter to know if he or she has been accredited.

''If you have a ballot paper in constituency A for instance, you cannot take that same ballot paper to constituency B to cast your vote. The ballot papers this time around are colour coded and has some security features that are unique to that ward.

"Secondly, after the election results are announced at the polling units and copies will be made available to observers, police and party agents."r