#OsunDecides: BVAS malfunctioning delays voting in some polling units

The malfunctioning of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) at the ongoing Osun State governorship elections has delayed voting in some polling units, making voters to wait for hours.

BVAS is an electronic device designed to read Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and authenticate voters – using the voters’ fingerprints – in order to prove that they are eligible to vote at a particular polling unit.

BVAS usage entails either scanning the barcode/QR code on the PVC/Voter’s register or entering the last six digits of the Voter Identity Number or typing in the last name of the voter by the Assistant Presiding Officer (APO 1) to verify and authenticate the voter.

It was observed that in Polling Unit 02, Ward 6, Irewole Local Government Area, the technology has stopped working on several occasions, hindering ongoing voting process.

The same scenario played out in Polling Unit 03, Ward 5 in Atakunmosa West Local Government Area.

An observer said, “The machine had stopped functioning on 3 different occasions within the space of one hour, halting election process.”

In the same vein, an observer in Polling Unit 01, Ward 5, Ayedaade, told Daily Trust that “INEC officials wasted valuable time to fix the BVAS instead of concentrating on elections.”

The voters called on INEC to rectify the challenges encountered in operating the technology ahead of the 2023 general elections. (Daily Trust)