INEC to Introduce Downloadable PVCs and Full Online Voter Registration to Replace Lost Cards

The Digital PVC (e-PVC)

Under the newly proposed system, registered voters who misplace, deface, or damage their physical plastic cards will no longer have to wait months or navigate tedious queues at Local Government Area (LGA) offices for a replacement.

 Self-Service Downloads: Voters will be able to log directly into the secure INEC Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) portal, verify their identity via biometric or facial recognition matches against the existing database, and download a digital, secure, and printable version of their PVC.

 Security Features: The downloadable PVCs will feature encrypted, high-security QR codes containing the voter’s biometric data. These can be easily scanned at polling units using INEC’s Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) to prevent identity theft and duplication.

Full Online Voter Registration

Building on the previous “pre-registration” hybrid models, INEC is upgrading its infrastructure to allow eligible citizens to complete nearly the entire registration process online.

 Seamless Updates: Beyond new registrations, the system heavily automates the process for voter data corrections (fixing misspelled names, wrong dates of birth, or updating photographs) and polling unit transfers for citizens who have relocated.  

 Targeted In-Person Verification: While data entry, document uploads, and facial pre-screening can happen entirely via smartphones or computers, a quick, optimized in-person biometric capture (fingerprints) will still be scheduled at localized centers to fully activate new accounts.