In preparation for and avoidance of delay in arrival of officials and election materials in the forthcoming November 16, 2024 off-circle gubernatorial election in Ondo State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun the distribution of the non-sensitive election materials, noting that 2,053,061 registered voters would participate in the election.
This was disclosed by the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the state, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, while addressing journalists in Akure on Saturday on the preparation of the commission for the election.
She disclosed that a large percentage of the non-sensitive election materials for the November 16, 2024 poll have been received.
The REC, therefore, revealed that the non-sensitive election materials received have been distributed to the 18 local government areas of the state.
According to her, the materials are kept in safe places as the commission is working closely with security agencies to protect the materials.
She explained that the non-sensitive election materials would be batched into RAs and polling units and would be dispatched on the eve of the election.
Mrs. Babalola said: “I am pleased to inform you that a large percentage of the non-sensitive election materials required for the election have been received and deployed to the 18 local government offices, where they are batched to RAs and PUs levels.
“We are working closely with the relevant security agencies and stakeholders to ensure safe storage and timely distribution of these materials on the eve of election.”
The REC further disclosed that the total number of registered voters in the state is now 2,053,061.
This is after harmonising the new registered voters with the old registered voters.
Giving the breakdown of the registered voters, Mrs. Babalola said there is a total of 1,034,006 male registered voters in the state which formed 50.36 percent of the total registered voters in the state.
The number of registered voters who are female in the state is 1,019,055, which formed 49.64 percent of total registered voters in the state.
Youths who registered as voters in the state are 726,944 and constitute 35.41 percent of the total registered voters in the state.
Middle age people who registered as voters are 721,982 and this formed 35.17 percent of the total regulation voters.
The elderly who registered are 441,516 and they are 21.51 percent of total registered voters.
Old people who registered are 162,619, constituting 7.92 percent of the total registered voters in the state.
People living with disabilities who registered as voters are 1,782 and formed just 0.09 percent of the total registered voters in the state.
The REC assured the registered voters in the state that their votes would count.
She assured that all security agencies are working with INEC to ensure a hitch-free, free, fair and credible election in Ondo State.
Referring to the bye-election that was held in the state, Mrs. Babalola promised that the commission would put in its best to ensure the election results are transmitted to the INEC portal from the 3,933 polling units in the state.
The REC explained that “the deployment of BVAS is a key innovation aimed at enhancing the credibility of the electoral process. May I state categorically that BVAS shall be deployed in all three thousand nine hundred and thirty-three (3,933) polling units in the state for voter accreditation, ensuring that only registered voters with valid PVCs are allowed to vote. This system will also transmit polling unit results directly to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), enabling greater transparency and real-time access to election results by the public.”
