2023 Elections: 5 Reasons Why Your Vote May Not Count

Making your vote count in the forthcoming 2023 general elections should be the priority of every Nigerian who truly desires to see a change in the nation. The 2023 elections which have been described by many as the defining factor for recovery and restructuring are upon us. As Nigerians get ready to head to the polls, the question however remains, Will my vote count?

The answer is however not farfetched as there are various reasons that can make your vote not count in the 2023 elections. Some of them include:

If you fail to collect your PVC

Many Nigerians keep lamenting that their votes won’t count in the elections. This assertion however becomes a reality when they fail to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). Some of them are unwilling to leave the comfort of their houses to collect their voter cards, because of the stress, insecurity and various difficulty that may come their way. While those who are willing find it difficult to collect them after various attempts. The truth is electorates who don’t have voter cards shouldn’t complain of bad leadership because they failed to exercise their civil right when given the opportunity.

If you fail to visit the correct polling unit

After collecting their voter cards some people use them for opening bank accounts and other things. Rather than locating their correct polling unit, some citizens prefer to go to a polling unit closer to them. When you do that, your vote will not count. One of the steps listed in the INEC voting guide states that “an INEC official will ask for your PVC and confirm you are listed in the Voters Register.” If your name is not in the voter register, you won’t be qualified to vote and your vote won’t count. 

If you fail to thumbprint rightly within the box

Going to the right polling unit is one thing, voting rightly is another thing. After going through the verification process, your finger will be stained with a spot of indelible ink to enable you to thumbprint in the box assigned to your preferred candidate. If you fail to do it rightly, your votes will be counted as invalid.

For general elections, the ink would be applied to any of the applicable five fingers, but in the case of Stand-alone Elections, it would be applied to the left thumb of a voter). Have a look at the following images:

If your ballot box is stolen by political thugs

In previous times, there have been cases of electoral violence that have marred the election process. One such is the stealing of ballot boxes by unscrupulous elements. If you are dutiful enough to cast your vote, and the ballot box that contains your vote is stolen from the polling unit, your votes will not count. This is because your votes will not be among the counted number of votes.

If the election is rigged

Elections can be rigged in various ways. One notable way is the threatening of INEC officials. Political contenders who intend to malign the election process can threaten electoral officers, especially the Returning Officers, charged with the responsibility of announcing the results. Once the lives of returning officers are threatened, they tend to do the bidding of the political player. This can lead to the compromise of INEC’s logistic process, and the manipulation of results and collation centers.

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