SAN FRANCISCO, February 14, (THEWILL) – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that voters could vote with any finger because ballot paper is not finger sensitive.
The electoral agency, in a statement on the issue advised that what matters is that the finger does not cross to the next box; otherwise, it would be interpreted as voting for two parties, making such votes void.
“A voter can use any finger to vote but should ensure that his or her mark is clear and placed inside the box of the political party of his or her choice and does not stray into another box,” INEC counselled.
The Commission said this in response to what it called “fake news” that has been making the rounds, to the intent that voters could only vote with a particular finger.
The information is contained on the verified Twitter handle of the Commission, @inecnigeria.
The electoral body said it got wind of “false reports” that the only the index finger is approved for marking the ballot papers.
It described the rumour as “false”, saying any of the fingers can be used, as long as it does not spill ink beyond the box meant for a party.
“INEC’s attention has been drawn to a fake news making rounds that the index finger is the only finger approved for marking a ballot paper. THIS IS FALSE,” INEC said.
“At the point of registration, all ten fingers were captured. So any finger can be used for marking a ballot paper.
“Make sure that your mark is inside the box of your party of choice and does not stray into another box.”
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