Counting The Votes: INEC Issues New Rules

Following the observations of Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs)
and Political Parties and the inputs of its Legal Services Department
and the Commission's Consortium of Lawyers, the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) has issued a corrigendum in respect of
theGuidelines and Regulations For The Conduct of 2015 General
ElectionsandThe Manual For Election Officials 2015as follows:

At the close of voting, the Presiding Officer shall:

(a.) Cancel all unused ballot papers by crossing them;

(b.) Sort the ballots at 2 levels as follows:

(i.) Sort all wrongly deposited ballots and transfer them into their
appropriate ballot boxes;

(ii.) Sort out the ballots by party and thereafter loudly count the
votes scored by each party in the presence of the polling agents and
observers.

2.8.2 Sorting Procedure
There shall be 2 levels of sorting namely:

(a.) Sorting for wrongly deposited ballot; and

(b.) Sorting by party

(A.) Sorting for Wrongly Deposited Ballots

The Presiding Official (PO) shall:

Step 1. Starting with the House of Representatives, sort out all
wrongly deposited ballots;

Step 2. Transfer the ballots deposited in the wrong box, to their
appropriate ballot boxes;

Step 3. Return the other ballots into the ballot box.

Repeat steps 1, 2 and 3 above for the Senatorial and Presidential Elections

(B.) Sorting by Party

The Presiding Officer (PO) shall:

Step 1. Starting with the House of Representatives, sort out the
ballots into separate piles for each party and one pile for rejected
ballots.

Step 2. Sort out the ballot papers by party and thereafter loudly
count the votes scored by each party in the presence of the polling
agents and observers.

Step 3. Write the word "REJECTED" on the front of every rejected ballot.

Step 4. Show all rejected ballots to the Polling Agents and Observers present.

Step 5. Where any objection against such a rejection is raised by a
Candidate or Polling Agent, write the word "Rejected but objected to"
on the front of the ballot.

Step 6. Count and record the quantity of the rejected ballots and
their serial numbers on Form EC 40B.

Step 7. Put all rejected ballots in envelop EC 50A.

Step 8. Count and Record the quantity of Tendered ballots on Form EC
40F. (Tendered Ballot Statement)

Step 9. Put all Tendered Ballots in the envelope provided.

Follow steps B(1)-B(9) above in the case of the Senatorial and
Presidential Elections.

Follow the same procedure above for sorting and counting of ballots
for the governorship and house of assembly elections, beginning with
the House of Assembly Elections.
--Vanguard