BREAKING: Senate rejects compulsory electronic transmission of election results

The Senate has rejected a proposed amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3 of the Electoral Amendment Bill, which sought to make the electronic transmission of election results compulsory.

According to Channels Television, the rejected amendment would have required INEC presiding officers to transmit results electronically from each polling unit to the INEC Result Viewing (IREV) portal in real time, immediately after the prescribed Form EC8A had been signed, stamped, and countersigned by party agents.

Instead, lawmakers retained the existing provision of the Electoral Act, which stipulates that:

“The presiding officer shall transfer the results, including the total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot, in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.”

The decision maintains flexibility for INEC in the method of transmitting election results, while the commission continues to explore options for efficient and credible result management ahead of the 2027 general elections.