As Ondo state heads to the polls, 1.7 million voters—85.6% of the 2.05 million registered voters—will decide the next governor.
As voting will take place in 3,933 polling units spread across 18 local government areas in the state, the election is featuring candidates from 17 political parties vying for power.
Voting Process
On Election Day, according to information Independent National Electoral Commissionon (INEC) portal, polling stations will open from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM for accreditation and voting.
Voters already in line by 2:00 PM will still be allowed to cast their ballots. However, only registered voters in the polling unit they are accredited in can vote. After all voters have cast their ballots, the Presiding Officer will declare voting closed.
Counting and Sorting of Ballots
Once voting is closed, the Presiding Officer will:
1. Sort the ballots by party.
2. Count the votes loudly in the presence of polling agents and observers.
3. Mark rejected ballots as “rejected” or “rejected but objected to” if contested.
4. Recount votes if requested by a candidate or polling agent (only once).
5. Complete and sign the result form (Form EC8A), and share copies with polling agents, security, and the police.
The results will be displayed at the polling unit on the mandatory Form EC60E.
Electronic Transmission of Results
After sorting and counting, the Presiding Officer will:
1. Electronically transmit the polling unit results directly to the INEC collation system.
2. Upload a scanned copy of the results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV for public access.
3. Transport the original results forms in a tamper-evident envelope to the Registration Area/Ward Collation Officer, accompanied by security agents.
When to Expect Final Results
Once all polling unit results are transmitted, the data will undergo collation at the ward and local government levels. The final results are expected to be declared by the Returning Officer at the state collation center.
With real-time updates available on the IReV portal, the preliminary results could be available as soon as the evening of Election Day, with final results expected within 24 to 48 hours, depending on the efficiency of the collation process and any disputes or recounts that may arise.
Voters and stakeholders are encouraged to monitor the process on the IReV for transparency and updates throughout the election period.
The INEC, on Friday, expressed its readiness for the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State, assuring voters that, “We have done our own work, we will not disappoint the people of Ondo State.”
INEC National Commissioner Supervising Ondo, Ogun and Osun States, Professor Kunle Ajayi, revealed this on Channels Television’s Politics Today in Akure.
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