Section 14
Demand for information regarding registrationIn the performance of his or her duties under this Act, a registration officer and an update officer shall—
(a) demand from any applicant the information necessary to enable him or her to ascertain whether the applicant is qualified to be registered as a voter in accordance with the provisions of this Act; and
(b) require any voter or applicant to complete an application form for the purpose of the registration, but in the case of an illiterate or disabled person such application form may be completed by the registration officer on the applicant’s request.
This section explains the requirement of proof of eligibility for a voter’s registration. Following the requirements for eligibility to register to vote in Section 12 , a person who presents himself or herself for registration or who wants to update their information would have to prove their eligibility using documentation that will be demanded by the registration or update officer. It is important to note that the Electoral Act in Section 114 criminalizes forgery of documents to show eligibility
Applicants for registration or update must complete the entry of their information in a form by themselves except where it is a person living with a disability or a person who is not literate enough to complete the form. In the latter cases, the registration or the update officer will complete the necessary forms on behalf of the person upon request.
Where a person has been refused registration or an update and they believe they are eligible
in
line with the provisions under
Section 12
of this act, they may challenge this by requesting an administrative review by INEC’s
Revision
Officer. If the applicant is not pleased with the decision reached by the Revision Officer
as
appointed under
Section 20
of this Act, they have 7 days to approach the Resident Electoral Commissioner in charge of
the
State they reside in for a review.
See
section 20 (2) of this Act
.
As this involves a likely breach of rights, it does not foreclose the option of judicial review by the Court.
