To demonstrate its readiness and commitment towards the conduct of a free, fair, credible and transparent local Government Polls come 9th October, 2024 across the 17 Local Government Areas and 326 Wards in the State, the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) has conducted mock elections across the three (3) Senatorial Zones of the State to test the efficacy of the newly launched voting technology known as Voter Verification System (VVS) to be used for the elections.
The VVS according to the Chairman of the State electoral umpire, Hon. Plangji Daniel Cishak is a technology designed to enhance the integrity of the electoral process by ensuring that only registered and eligible voters can participate in the election. He said the introduction, launch and test-run of the voting technology has significantly boosted the confidence of the electorates and an assurance of the integrity of the forthcoming Local Government Elections. He hinted that the technology will address the issue of electrical fraud.
Polling units in Wase, Shendam, Pankshin, Mangu, Riyom, and Jos North Local Government Areas were selected for the mock election which recorded huge success without issue of failure.
PLASIEC followed the standard electoral procedure, deploying staff and materials to the designated polling units, setting up voter queues, and using the VVS to verify voters’ identities. This mock election made it possible for PLASIEC to assess its readiness ahead of the official election day.
The response from both voters and electoral officials was overwhelmingly positive. Voters expressed satisfaction with the smooth verification process enabled by the VVS, which minimized delays and ensured accuracy in voter identification. The mock election also gave PLASIEC officials valuable insights into potential challenges and areas for improvement before the actual election.
The introduction of the VVS represents a key milestone in PLASIEC’s efforts to incorporate technology into the electoral process, helping to prevent electoral fraud and streamline voting procedures.
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