Technology has become central to Nigerian elections. Each new tool was introduced to fix a specific problem: multiple voting, inflated turnout or results changed during collation. This explainer covers the main systems, BVAS and IReV, the card readers that came before them, and where they have fallen short.
Before 2011: the paper era
In 1999, 2003 and 2007, voter registers were compiled largely on paper and checked by hand. Observers repeatedly found registers full of duplicate and fictitious names, and polling units where reported turnout was higher than the number of people who voted. With no reliable way to confirm a voter’s identity, multiple voting and ballot stuffing were hard to detect.
2011: the biometric register
Under Attahiru Jega, INEC compiled a new register in 2011 using Direct Data Capture machines that recorded each voter’s fingerprints and photograph. This allowed the commission to remove duplicate registrations. It did not yet verify voters on election day.
2015: permanent voter cards and card readers
For 2015, INEC issued permanent voter cards (PVCs) with an embedded chip, and introduced smart card readers. At the polling unit, the reader checked that the card was genuine and matched the voter’s fingerprint, and it counted how many people had been accredited.
The card readers had teething problems. Many failed to read fingerprints, and President Goodluck Jonathan himself could not be accredited in Otuoke. INEC allowed manual accreditation where devices failed. Even so, the readers made it much harder to inflate turnout, because the accreditation count could be checked against the declared result.
2020: IReV
In 2020, INEC launched the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV). Presiding officers photograph the signed polling unit result sheet (form EC8A) and upload it, so anyone can see what was recorded at each polling unit. It was first used in off-cycle elections such as Edo and Ondo in 2020.
2023: BVAS
The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) replaced the card reader. It verifies voters by fingerprint or facial recognition, replaces the paper register at the polling unit, and is also used to photograph and upload result sheets to IReV. The Electoral Act 2022 gave BVAS and electronic upload legal backing for the first time, and allowed results to be cancelled where accreditation numbers did not match.
In the 2023 general elections, BVAS worked in most polling units, although some machines had battery or network problems. The bigger controversy was about IReV: results for the presidential election were not uploaded in real time on election night. INEC blamed a technical glitch. The courts later ruled that IReV is not a collation system, so the delay did not by itself invalidate the result.
The legal record of a polling unit result is the paper form EC8A, signed by the presiding officer and party agents. IReV is a public window onto those forms, not a replacement for them.
2026: what the amended law says
The Electoral Act 2026 amendments, signed on 18 February 2026, leave the decision on electronic transmission to INEC and keep form EC8A as the primary record. Supporters said this reflects patchy network coverage and the risk of hacking. Critics, including civil society groups and telecom operators, said it could weaken transparency.
How elect.ng uses this
Every result submitted on elect.ng must include a photo of the result sheet, and is shown as unconfirmed until reviewed. Official results are always labelled separately. See how results work.
