Citizens’ Platform (3): Voting 101 – Transfer of Registered Voters

It’s Episode 3 of our Voting 101 series and this is for those who need to transfer their voting rights! Episode 2 was all about what goes down on the D-day and Episode 1 was about what goes down before the D-day.

Did you register while you were a student and now you are working in a new state? Have you moved from where you registered to vote whatever the reason for the move was? 2019 is a year for us to be deliberate about our voting and I am sure you want to exercise your right to vote. A domicile change should not stand in the way of you voting. That is why we are talking today about what you can do about this situation. This procedure is as provided by INEC. Read on.

A Nigerian has the right to live in any part of the country. An important part of voter registration is that an eligible person is advised to register at a centre nearest to him or her within the ward in which s/he resides. This is to make it easy for the voter to access the polling unit and vote on Election Day.

However, a person who relocated to another place, outside the constituency in which she registered cannot vote in her new location unless she transfers her registration. Section 13 of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended provides for the transfer of registered voters. Below is the procedure for transfer:-

1. Write an application to INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner of the State where you are currently residing.
2. You must attach your voter’s card to the application.
3. Following that, you must apply to the Resident Electoral Commissioner not later than 30 days before the date of an election in the constituency where you now live
4. The Resident Electoral Commissioner will direct the Electoral Officer of the applicants Local Government Area to enter your name  in the transferred voters list.
5. The Electoral Officer will assign you to a polling unit in his/her constituency after which s/he will issue you with a new voters card
6. The Electoral officer will retrieve your previous voter’s card
7. S/he will then send a copy of the entry to the Electoral officer of the constituency where you were originally registered.
8. Upon receipt of this entry, that Electoral Officer shall delete your name from his/her voters list.

Note- Apart from State Headquarters Offices of INEC, applicants can also submit their applications at the INEC Office in their Local Government Areas. The applications will be forwarded to the Resident Electoral Commissioner for necessary action.

Voila! There you have it. It is a pretty straightforward process (barring any human incompetence or error). Do not let location stand in the way of you performing your civic duty. We deserve a better Nigeria and we need to put in the work required. Your vote is your right. Your vote is your power. Use it and use it wisely!

Till the next episode, be the kind of Nigerian that Nigeria needs right now.