2023: What’ll happen if BVAS machines fail at polling units during election – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has disclosed the contingency plan if the Bimodal Voter Registration System, BVAS, machines fail at polling units during the 2023 general elections.

INEC spokesman Festus Okoye disclosed that the Commission would ensure the availability of spare BVAS at every polling unit.

Okoye said INEC has already made provision for the use of the BVAS in the over 176,000 polling units in the country.

Speaking with Channels Television, Okoye said: “For each electoral ward, we are going to have some spare BVAS to be deployed speedily if there is any issue or any challenge in any of our polling units. We have also trained technical support staff that can also intervene if there is any challenge with the BVAS.

“But if there is sustained malfunction of the BVAS up to the time of the closing of the poll, the Electoral Act demands that we should undermine voting in that particular polling unit and repeat voting within 24 hours.”