Ondo poll: INEC to Commence PVC distribution Thursday

Ahead of the governorship election in Ondo State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that registered voters can begin collecting their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) starting Thursday, October 17, 2024.

Sam Olumekun, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, made this announcement in a statement on Monday.

The Ondo governorship election is set for November 16, 2024.

According to the statement, a total of 89,777 new PVCs have been printed and delivered to INEC’s office in Akure. This includes 58,708 for new voters and 31,069 for those requesting transfers, updates, or replacements of lost or damaged cards.

PVC collection will take place at 221 centers across the state in two phases. The first phase will be from Thursday, October 17, to Monday, October 21, 2024, at all 203 Wards.

The second phase will occur from Wednesday, October 23, to Tuesday, October 29, 2024, at the 18 Local Government Area (LGA) offices, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily, including weekends.

The statement also noted that during this period, uncollected PVCs from previous registrations will be available at designated centers.

INEC has urged all registered voters to collect their PVCs in person, emphasizing that proxy collection is not permitted.

“We encourage registered voters to pick up their PVCs on the specified dates. No cards will be collected by proxy,” the statement reiterated. Detailed information, including the addresses of collection centers, is available on INEC’s website and social media platforms.

Additionally, the commission will post the register of new voters at each center and upload the full collection register to its website for easier identification of names and collection locations.