The bill aims to grant voting rights to a critical segment of Nigerians who, due to the nature of their duties on election days, are unable to participate in the electoral process.
The senate has taken a significant step toward expanding voting rights by advancing a bill that seeks to amend the Electoral Act, allowing Nigerians on essential duties to vote ahead of election day.
The bill titled, “A Bill for an Act to Amend the Electoral Act No. 13, 2022 to provide for early voting at elections, including criteria for eligibility, procedure at the elections,” was sponsored by Sen. Abdulaziz Musa Yar’adua (APC, Katsina central) during Thursday’s plenary.
Objective of the bill
Leading the debate, Sen. Yar’adua emphasised that the bill aims to grant voting rights to a critical segment of Nigerians who, due to the nature of their duties on election days, are unable to participate in the electoral process.
Highlighting the rationale behind the bill, Yar’adua explained that every democratic system must provide equal voting opportunities to all citizens, regardless of their profession. He however noted that in Nigeria, a large number of individuals actively involved in election-day operations such as Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials, security personnel, journalists, and observers are effectively disenfranchised.
He said, “Over one million citizens who play critical roles in ensuring the smooth conduct of the elections are disenfranchised.
“This is an irony that should not be lost on us, and this bill seeks to correct that by making provision for early voting for such citizens,” he added.
Extent of disenfranchisement
The lawmaker detailed the scale of the issue, citing figures from the 2023 general elections:
•Over 1 million ad-hoc staff
•310,973 police officers
•93,495 military and Department of State Services (DSS) personnel
•51,000 Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) officers
•21,000 Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) personnel
•11,336 Nigeria Correctional Service officers
•9,447 National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) personnel
•350 Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officials
•144,800 accredited observers from 196 domestic organisations.
These figures, he stressed, show that Nigeria is excluding a large pool of eligible voters whose participation could influence election outcomes.
He said, “This is in addition to journalists and others involved in elections in various capacities. The number of those excluded from voting could change the outcomes of election results.”
Provisions of the bill
The bill outlines key measures to implement early voting, including:
•Eligibility and Registration: Security personnel, electoral officials, and other eligible individuals must apply at least 30 days before the early voting date. Political parties will also receive a list of registered early voters to ensure transparency
•Voting Procedure: Early voting will take place no more than seven days before the general election. Special voting centers will be established in each ward, and ballots will only be counted on the official election day.
Global and African precedents
Senator Yar’adua noted that early voting has been successfully adopted in various countries to improve electoral efficiency and voter participation:
•United States: Some states allow early voting from a few days to 45 days before elections.
•Australia: Early voting starts 2-3 weeks before election day, with 40 percent of voters casting ballots early in 2019.
•Canada: Early voting takes place 12 days before elections.
•Germany: Postal voting begins 4-6 weeks before elections.
Several African countries also practice early voting:
•South Africa: The electoral commission allows early voting two days before elections for security forces, the elderly, and other essential workers.
•Ghana: Early voting begins four days before elections for security personnel and people with disabilities.
•Namibia: Diplomats and election officials vote one week in advance.
•Senegal: Early voting occurs a few days to a week before elections.
Potential impact on voter turnout
Yar’adua pointed out that countries with early voting tend to have higher voter turnout:
•Ghana (2020) – 79% turnout
•Sierra Leone (2018) – 84% turnout
•Liberia (2017) – 75% turnout
•Senegal (2019) – 66.2% turnout
In contrast, Nigeria’s voter participation has declined over the last three election cycles:
•2015 – 43.7% turnout
•2019 – 34.7% turnout
•2023 – 27.1% turnout
Acknowledging potential concerns about security, logistics, and cost, Sen. Yar’adua assured that with proper planning, these challenges can be effectively managed.
“INEC has the expertise to incorporate early voting into our electoral process, and the Electoral Act provides sufficient legal mechanisms to address any challenges that may arise.
“Distinguished colleagues, the introduction of early voting is not just about convenience; it is about strengthening our democracy, improving voter participation, reducing electoral violence, and making elections more efficient and transparent.
“By passing this bill, we will be taking a significant step toward a more inclusive and representative electoral system that better serves the interests of all Nigerians,” he noted.
Senate’s decision
The bill received overwhelming support from lawmakers. When the Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau, who presided over the plenary, put it to a voice vote, it successfully passed its second reading.
The bill was thereafter referred to the senate committee on electoral matters to report back within four weeks.
