TheCable

Nigerians can now confirm the location of their polling units through SMS, ahead of the forthcoming general election.

In a statement on Friday, Mahmood Yakubu, chairperson of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said the commission has introduced technological innovations to make voting more credible and result management more transparent.

He said the commission noticed that during the mock accreditation exercise, some voters turned up at the wrong polling units.

Yakubu said other voters may be in the same situation, adding that a reoccurrence must be avoided on election day.

“In order to ease the process, the Commission is sending bulk phone text messages (SMS) to citizens voting in new polling units. Similarly, the register of such voters for each State has been sent to the Resident Electoral Commissioners for publicity, particularly through messages in local languages,” the statement reads.

“Furthermore, the Commission is offering two unique ways by which all voters can locate and confirm their Polling Units before Election Day. This can be done by sending a normal text message or by simply visiting our website. You can also send inquiries to our various public outreach platforms shown in the attached procedure.

“I urge all eligible voters to confirm their voting locations ahead of Election Day. In doing so, you would be contributing to our avowed commitment to deliver credible, inclusive, transparent elections.”

HOW TO CONFIRM YOUR POLLING UNIT LOCATION

According to INEC, to check the location of your polling unit, text the name of your state, last name, and the last six digits of your voter identification number (VIN) to 09062830860 or 09062830861.

Example: FCT MAGAJI 445322

Eligible voters can also visit here or here to get the locations of their polling units.