EXPLAINER: What you need to know about PVCs collection

With less than 90 days to the 2023 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) will commence on December 12, and end on January 22, 2023.

The INEC in a statement said all eligible and valid registrants could collect their PVCs daily from 9 am to 3 pm, including Saturdays and Sundays.

The commission also noted that the collection would commence at its offices in each of the 774 local government areas in the country.

The commission said, “All the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) and Electoral Officers (Eos) have been directed to convene a meeting with the critical stakeholders in their states and local government areas, including traditional and religious leaders, civil society groups, community-based organisations and the media, to brief them on the modalities for the collection of the PVCs to sensitise the public and ensure a seamless exercise.

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“Similarly, RECs and EOs have been directed to set up help desks to assist registrants with complaints about their PVCs or with the PVCs collection procedure for immediate redress.”

Recall that the commission had introduced the initiative of transfer of PVCs to make the process of voting in various locations easier.

The PVC is the ticket that identifies the voter and is only valid and eligible for people who registered in the just concluded voter registration exercise and were presented with the temporary voters’ cards.  This means that people can get their PVCs by presenting their temporary voter’s cards.

However, in the case of a missing temporary voter’s card, the registrants would need to verify their names on the distribution list at their LGA INEC offices. If their names are on the register, they would be required to fill an attestation form to enable them to collect their PVCs.

Also, damaged or lost cards can be replaced by INEC. The voter must apply in person to the EO or any other officer duly authorised by the REC. The application should be at least, 30 days before an election and stating the circumstances surrounding the loss or damage.

The commission will then issue another copy of the registrant’s original voter’s card and the word duplicate and date of re-issue will be printed on the card.