The Nigerian Senate has passed the second reading of a bill seeking to introduce early voting for essential workers, ensuring electoral officials, security personnel, journalists, and observers can participate in elections despite their duties.
Sponsored by Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’adua, the Electoral Act (Amendment – Early Voting Bill) 2024 proposes that eligible workers apply 30 days in advance, with early voting conducted up to seven days before the general election. Votes will be counted on election day to maintain integrity.
Yar’adua noted that countries like the U.S., Canada, and South Africa already implement early voting, and adopting it in Nigeria could help improve voter turnout, which dropped from 43.7% in 2015 to 27.1% in 2023.
