Why we have low turnout in voter registration, says INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has given the reason for the low turnout in voter registration across the country.

Speaking in an interview on Arise Television on Monday, INEC Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Etta-Messi, said the distance to the INEC office in some communities has discouraged registration.

Etta-Messi stated that the Commission is introducing the policy of rotation, where the machines and registration teams will be taken to the ward level.

“So, one major challenge that has been noticed and noted is the distance of local governments from the communities. That has been discouraging for the citizens to come to their local government capitals to get registered.

“And so because of that, the Commission is aware of that challenge. And so during the second phase, they are going to introduce the policy of rotation.

“So as we start today, because we’re not going to have the exercise on weekends, it’s about 75 days from today, January 5 to April 17. That will cover for the second phase.

“So the Commission is looking into having started 50 days towards the end of the exercise, would initiate the rotation policy where the machines and the registration teams would be taken from ward to ward.

“And so we will draw out a schedule, where we would now be moving from one ward to another and the devices will be taken closer to the people at the ward level. But for now, we’re still holding on to the local government and the state offices,” she said.