Inec clarifies pre-online voter registration, said physical biometrics are still mandatory

The Independent National Election Commission (Inec) has clarified that voters who meet the requirements that conduct pre-registration online during the ongoing Voter Registration (CVR) exercise still have to visit the designated Inec offices to complete the process before getting their permanent voter cards (PVC).

According to the commission, online registration alone is not enough, because biometric data, including fingerprints, must be captured physically to validate information on each applicant.

Speaking at Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, Director of Tic Inec, the Lawrence Correction, explained that while applicants can fill and upload details online, physical presence remains mandatory.

“For now, you cannot sort everything at home because we still need to capture your biometric. If we can capture your biometric online, then there is no need to go to those centers. But we still need to capture your fingerprint biometrics, so this is what you go to the center,” Lawrence said.

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He stressed that the requirements are needed to maintain the integrity of the voter list and prevent manipulation or duplication cases.

The Director of ICT also revealed that Inec was in discussion with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to integrate national ID data into future voter registration training. This, he said, can reduce the need for some physical visits in the next CVR.

For voters without internet access, Lawrence notes that physical registration remains available at the Inec local government office. He added that the Online Commission Portal also included a module to report a damaged PVC, which allows voters to update their details and get a replacement.