As Ondo state goes to the polls, 1.7 million voters—85.6% of the 2.05 million registered voters—will elect the next governor.
Voting will take place in 3,933 polling places located over the state’s 18 local government regions, with candidates from 17 political parties fighting for power.
Polling stations will be available for accreditation and voting on Election Day from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM, according to information from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) homepage.
Voters who are already in line by 2:00 PM can still cast their ballots. Only registered voters in the polling unit where they are accredited are eligible to vote. Once all voters have cast their ballots, the Presiding Officer will proclaim voting concluded.
Counting and Sorting Ballots
After voting, the Presiding Officer will sort the ballots by party.
- Count the votes loudly in front of poll workers and observers.
- If rejected ballots are contested, mark them “rejected” or “rejected but objected to”.
- Recount votes when requested by a candidate or polling agent (once only).
- Fill out and sign the result form (Form EC8A), and distribute copies to polling agents, security, and the police.
The results will be displayed at the voting station on the required Form EC60E.
Electronic transmission of results.
After sorting and counting, the Presiding Officer will electronically transfer polling unit results to the INEC collation system.
- Submit a scanned copy of the results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) for public viewing.
- Bring the original results forms in a tamper-evident envelope to the Registration Area/Ward Collation Officer, accompanied by security personnel.
When To Expect Final Results
After all polling unit results are transmitted, the data will be consolidated at the ward and local government levels. The Final Results are scheduled to be announced by the Returning Officer at the state collation center.
With real-time updates available on the IReV portal, preliminary results could be available as early as the evening of Election Day, with final results expected within 24 to 48 hours, depending on the efficiency of the collation process and any current disputes or recounts.
Voters and stakeholders are urged to follow the process on the IReV for transparency and updates throughout the election.
On Friday, the INEC proclaimed preparation for the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State, promising voters that, “We have done our own work, and we will not disappoint the people of Ondo State.”
Professor Kunle Ajayi, INEC National Commissioner for Ondo, Ogun, and Osun States, announced this on Channels Television’s Politics Today in Akure.