With various elections drawing closer, you may be curious about how to register for a Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) to vote for your preferred candidate because on election day, voters need to present a PVC approved by the nation’s Independent National Electoral Commission to participate.
Previously, PVC registration was a time-consuming procedure that required individuals to wait in line for days. Since INEC has established a digital platform for this purpose, any Nigerian with internet access can now register for a Permanent Voter’s Card by themselves.
In addition to signing up for a new card, voters can utilize the website in transferring their cards to another state or request that a card be re-issued. Keep in mind that the deadline for the digital PVC registration, which began in June 2021, is June 30 2022. Over 16 million individuals have registered as of May 12, 2022.
Nevertheless, the INEC Chairman Mahmud Yakubu disclosed in April that approximately 45 percent of these sign ups were declared inadmissible due to insufficient data and incorrect or multiple registrations. The chairman went on to say that in some locations, the rate was as steep as 60%.
Read till the end because this article contains the necessary steps you can take to register for your Permanent Voter’s Card.
Table of Contents
Benefits of Getting a PVC
It Gives You a Right to Vote
The primary advantage of obtaining a PVC is having a say in the political affairs of the nation. As an eligible citizen, you can vote during election processes however, without it, you can’t exercise your freedom as a citizen and vote for the person you believe will serve as a better leader.
It Serves as a Means of Identification
The PVC is recognized as a means of identification throughout the country because it is thought to contain reliable information about you. It contains several elements, like name and address, that can be utilized in identifying a person, particularly during the election process.
How to Register for a PVC
Visit INEC’s Website and Create Your Portal Account
Go to INEC’s registration portal to get started. Tap on the 3 dashes at the upper right corner of your screen. Click ‘sign in/register’. Before you can access the registration page, you must first log into your portal profile or make one. Insert your name, email address, mobile number, as well as password, then tap ‘submit’.
It is critical that you only input an email address that you can access, because you will get an email immediately to verify your profile. If you can’t locate the email, it could have ended up in your spam folder.
A message from the INEC CVR Portal should appear in your inbox. Open it to go back to the sign-in section you saw earlier and tap the link within it. This time, tap ‘log in’ and input your email address as well as the password you made.
Afterwards, you’ll be taken to a declaration page where you’ll be asked to affirm that all the information you supplied is correct. Before continuing, make sure to click ‘yes’.
Keep in mind that you can only sign up once. Wait for verification after completing your application, and don’t try to register again—otherwise, your registration may be invalidated, as registering several times is deemed illegal.
Register
After the declaration menu, you’ll be directed to the key registration form. You’ll need to supply the following information:
- Biodata: Name, birth date, gender, address, occupation, NIN, and nationality.
- Additional details: Education level, maiden name, and disability.
- Residence: State, country LGA, or the city in which you reside.
- Birth details: State, country, city, or LGA of birth.
- Origin details: State, country, city, or LGA of origin.
- Polling unit: This refers to details about the location in which you want to vote.
There will be space at the lower part of the page for supporting documents such as your passport or national identity card. Although this step is optional, it speeds up the verification procedure by making it easier to verify your identity. Additionally, it allows INEC to integrate your profile with other databases.
Once you’ve done that, tap ‘save and continue’, then you’ll be taken to a new page with a notification that your request has been successfully completed. If you don’t receive this confirmation, tap the 3 lines at the upper right side of your screen to check the status of your application.
Upload Your Picture
Following the previous step, you must upload 2 clear close-up images of your face; one showing a blank expression and the other smiling. Select ‘choose file’ to upload your pictures. Once you tap it, your camera will open. After taking each selfie, tap ‘use photo’, then it’ll be resized and posted instantaneously. Make sure that the photographs are well-lit and clear.
Schedule a Biometrics Appointment
The last step is to arrange a convenient appointment time to submit your biometric data. Biometrics refer to characteristics that are unique to you, such as your fingerprints and height. On the page, you’ll see a form showing various options regarding the nearest places to capture your biometrics.
There’s also a schedule of available dates to capture your biometrics on the portal. Choose the one that works best for you. The biometrics process takes about thirty minutes, and the personnel are usually on time. However, if you miss your appointment, you can reschedule via the INEC portal. Once you’ve made an appointment, you can submit your PVC application.
Following your biometrics appointment, you’ll get a temporary voters’ card as proof that you participated in the registration procedure. Store it in a secure location. Once the PVC is ready, INEC will notify you to collect it at the same location where you submitted your biometrics. It can take anywhere from one to three months.
Keep in mind that you need to show your TVC to get your PVC. However, if you’ve lost your TVC, you could replace it from the web platform by inputting your login information to access your account.