GUIDELINES FOR CONDUCTING ELECTIONS DURING THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK IN NIGERIA
Guideline · Governance
Policy date: 2020-01-01
Guidelines provide a framework for conducting safe elections during the COVID-19 pandemic by incorporating infection prevention measures. They target INEC staff, voters, political parties, and security personnel. This enables credible elections while protecting public health.
GUIDELINES FOR CONDUCTING ELECTIONS DURING THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK IN NIGERIA
What Is This Policy?
Guidelines providing a framework for conducting safe elections and by-elections during the COVID-19 pandemic, incorporating infection prevention measures into electoral processes.
Who Does It Target?
INEC staff and electoral officers Political parties, candidates, and party agents Voters and polling unit officials Security personnel deployed for elections
What Does It Aim to Achieve?
Enable credible democratic processes to continue during the COVID-19 pandemic while protecting the health of voters, electoral workers, and the broader public.
Key Features
Queue Management: Prescribes physical distancing in queues at polling units and limits on the number of persons at the polling station simultaneously. Hygiene Stations: Requires provision of hand sanitisers and handwashing facilities at all polling units. Mask Requirements: Mandates face mask use by all persons attending polling units. Symptomatic Voter Protocol: Provides a procedure for handling visibly symptomatic voters to prevent transmission while preserving voting rights.
Current Status
Rollout Stage: Implemented for by-elections conducted during 2020-2021 Coverage: All polling units in constituencies holding elections during the pandemic Beneficiaries: Voters, electoral workers, and democratic institutions Funding: INEC electoral budget; donor support
How to Access
All persons attending polling units must wear face masks Persons who refuse health screening may be denied entry pending alternative arrangements Symptomatic voters directed to designated polling points Application method: Applied automatically by INEC to all elections during the covered period.
Important Terms
Election results are not invalidated solely by COVID-19 non-compliance unless it materially affects outcome INEC retained discretion to postpone elections in severe outbreak scenarios
Official Resources
Website: https://www.inecnigeria.org Contact: Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
Legal Framework
The Guidelines for Conducting Elections during COVID-19 are issued by INEC under the Electoral Act and derive supplementary authority from the Quarantine Act (Emergency Regulations). They align with the 1999 Constitution (Sections 77–79 on elections), the Public Health Act, and international standards from the International IDEA Handbook on Electoral Management Design and WHO guidance on maintaining democratic processes during health emergencies.