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  • On March 11, Nigerians in various states across the country would be heading out to the polls to vote for who they want to be the next governor of their states. However, everyone seems to be focused on the elections of a particular state — Lagos.

    An aerial view of Victoria Island, Lagos [Encyclopedia Britannica]

    But what makes the city such a ‘hot cake’ and a talking point for many Nigerians? Who are the contestants for the state’s governorship race? What requirements do these people need to meet to be eligible for election as governor?

    Let’s dig in here:

    What makes Lagos so valuable?

    The answer is straightforward — the city generates a lot of money which politicians can embezzle use to take it to the next height.

    In 2021, Lagos State collected Nigeria’s highest Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR) (N753. 46 billion). In fact, 60 per cent of Nigeria’s tax revenue comes from Lagos alone. 

    Lagos is also Nigeria’s financial hub, with all major banks headquartered in the City. It is home to the Nigerian Stock Exchange [NSE] and accounts for over 80% of the country’s foreign trade flows.

    It is also known to be Africa’s largest metropolitan city, with a population of 15.4 million people of various skill sets contributing to the economy. As a result, it is seen as a profitable consumer market for multinational companies. This includes companies like MTN, Shoprite, Starlink, etc.

    Lagos is Africa’s largest metropolitan city [Premium Times]

    Lagos also has a very generous pension plan for ex-governors. Even though the Lagos State House of Assembly called out and revised the pension plan in 2021, ex-governors are entitled to 2 cars that can be changed every four years, household staff, and 100% of the basic annual salaries of an incumbent governor and deputy, amongst others.

    If you ever become Lagos State governor, you’re made for life.

    Who is in the race for Lagos State governor?

    We have 16 candidates vying for the position, but three out of the 16 candidates are currently gaining traction. They are:

    Babajide Sanwo-Olu (APC)

    The incumbent governor is seeking re-election for a second term in office alongside his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat.

    Even though he has had achievements such as a free health policy for children and establishments of hospitals across the grassroots, his tenure has been largely marred by the event of the 2020 Lekki Toll Gate Shootings and his lack of accountability for the tragedy.

    This has reduced public trust in his administration.

    Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (Labour Party)

    Rhodes-Vivour, a 40-year-old politician (aka GRV), is an architect, a social and human rights crusader, and a businessman. 

    His journey into politics became pronounced when he contested for the Ikeja Local Government Chairmanship position under the umbrella of the KOWA party in 2017.

    In 2019, he lost the Lagos West senatorial ticket under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC’s Senator Adeola Olalekan (Yayi). Rhodes-Vivour emerged as the Labour Party’s governorship candidate in August 2022 after decamping from the PDP.

    Rhodes-Vivour’s chances of winning the governorship race were brightened after LP’s Peter Obi’s surprise win of Lagos State in the presidential polls, defeating his rival and now president-elect, Bola Tinubu.

    Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran (Jandor) (PDP)

    The PDP gubernatorial candidate was once a member of the APC and convener of its Lagos4Lagos Movement.

    So far, asides from his shocking unveiling of Nollywood actress Funke Akindele as his running deputy, Jandor’s campaign has mostly gone unnoticed.

    What are the constitution’s criteria for governorship?



    According to Section 6, Sub-section 177 of Nigeria’s 1999 constitution, a Nigerian is qualified for election as Governor of a State if he is:

    1. A citizen of Nigeria by birth
    2. Attained the age of 30 years 
    3. A member of a political party and sponsored by the same party
    4. Educated up to at least School Certificate level or equivalent.

    Now you know everything about the Lagos State elections! If you’re a Lagosian and a registered voter, come out on March 11 to vote for your favourite candidate in the gubernatorial polls!

    Citizen also promises to give you real-time updates on the Lagos state election next Saturday. Join us on WhatsApp to not miss out.

  • On March 1, 2023, Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All-Progressives Congress (APC) was declared the winner of the 2023 presidential elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). 

    The BAT

    How are Nigerians taking this?

    As fans of the president-elect are jubilating, many Nigerians on the side of Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi are not taking the defeat too well. Neither are the PDP supporters of Atiku Abubakar.

    Some have even said there is enough evidence for the Labour Party to take to court, given suspicions of massive rigging. 

    Even before the declaration, the Labour Party, together with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), had already threatened INEC with legal steps. 

    And this is perfectly normal. Here in Nigeria, there is no such thing as an election without litigation. 

    As we await the post-election court drama that is sure to follow, take a look at some of the five biggest election cases in Nigeria’s history:

    Rotimi Amaechi Vs INEC

    In October 2007, the Supreme Court of Nigeria removed Celestine Omehia as governor of Rivers State and ordered that Rotimi Amaechi be sworn in instead. 

    This was due to Rotimi’s unjust removal from the ballot paper by INEC after he had won the PDP primaries in December 2006. 

    According to INEC, he was removed due to an indictment or accusation of corruption by the federal government. The Supreme Court later deemed it as invalid. 

    Amaechi became governor without campaigning.

    The many court cases of Peter Obi

    Even the Labour Party’s presidential candidate has had his share of ‘work experience’ regarding post-election court cases. 

    In 2003, Obi ran for the position of Anambra State governor under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) but lost to Chris Ngige. 

    Obi didn’t take his L peacefully as he defended his right to Anambra’s highest seat in the election petition tribunal. 

    He later won the case in March 2006 after almost three years. 

    He was impeached in November of the same year, but the court overturned his impeachment, and he returned to office in February 2007.

    Obi was again removed after the 2007 Anambra State gubernatorial election, but the judiciary intervened by ruling that he should be allowed to complete a full four-year term. 

    In 2010, Obi was re-elected to a second term.

    Mimiko Vs Agagu

    The 2023 elections would not be the first to have accusations of electoral fraud. This happened in the April 2007 Ondo State elections between Olusegun Agagu and Olusegun Mimiko.

    In April 2007, Agagu was declared the winner of the Ondo State elections by INEC. Mimiko then submitted a petition to the Ondo State State tribunal in what would be a year-long case. 

    Mimiko later won in August 2008 after it was revealed that Agagu won the election through invalid votes. 

    Adams Oshiomhole vs Oseirheimen Osunbor

    The Ondo State governorship elections weren’t the only election being contested in April 2007. The Edo State governorship election also entered the state’s election tribunal. 

    This was between Adams Oshiomhole (defendant) and Oserheimen Osunbor (winner).

    The case was filed on May 14, 2007, and was won by Oshiomhole in March 2008. The election won by Osunbor was annulled, as the votes in his favour were found to be fraudulent and ill-obtained. 

    Buhari Vs Obasanjo 

    Unlike the other four, this court case did not end in victory for the defendant. 

    When Muhammadu Buhari challenged the victory of Olusegun Obasanjo as the winner of the 2003 presidential elections, the petition sadly got dismissed by the Supreme Court. 

    Buhari complained of massive rigging, election irregularities and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) mismanagement of votes. 

    What happens next?

    As we await further post-election news, what would be the outcome? 

    Will the Labour Party take a step back and admit defeat? Will they go to the Supreme Court and challenge Tinubu’s incoming presidency? 

    Citizen promises to give you the updates once we have them. 

  • Three days after the 2023 presidential elections, Nigerians all over the world  are holding their breath and clinging to the edge of their seats as they await the long overdue results. 

    Here’s all that has happened: 

    Contrary to what we thought, election results were uploaded manually

    One of the measures put in place by the Independent Electoral Commission to ensure a smooth electoral process was the electronic transmission of results. But the spokesperson for INEC, Festus Okoye, released a report saying results from polling units would be electronically transmitted to IReV, but collations would be manual.

    Also read: Can Nigerians Trust BVAS for the 2023 Elections? 

    Disparities between figures Nigerians recorded at their PUs and INEC’s 

    A lot of heat has come upon INEC for releasing falsified results. A spokesperson for the Obi-Datti presidential campaign council claimed that the presidential result from Ekiti state had been uploaded on February 20, five days before the elections. 

    But we fact-checked this, and our checks revealed the screenshot, which was trending on social media, was in fact fake.

    Petition for the INEC’s Chairperson visa to be revoked 

    In the spirit of holding leaders accountable for their actions, Nigerians are dragging Mahmood Yakubu by his metaphorical shirt, and asking the UK, USA and Canada to revoke his visa for rigging Nigeria’s presidential election in favour of APC. The petition currently has over 285,600 signatories.

    Rumours of a runoff election to determine the president 

    For a candidate to be declared President, they must have 25% of votes in 2/3rd of all the states, including the FCT, and also the highest number of votes. From the election polls, we’ve seen the four contending parties show strength in their different regions.

    Banky W lost the Senatorial seat in Eti-Osa 

    Businessman and investor Thaddeus Attah, contesting under Labour Party, beat renowned singer and actor Bankole Wellington who contested under the People’s Democratic Party. Against speculations that he only won because of his party, some people have claimed he was absent from the TL because he was busy campaigning street-to-street. 

    Related: Who is Thaddeus Attah? The Man Who Beat Banky W in Eti-Osa 

    The European Union has dropped their two-cents

    On February 27, 2023, the EU released an official statement saying that while the Nigeria presidential elections had gone on as planned, the lack of transparency and operational failures challenged the citizen’s right to vote. So even though our electoral commission failed to address the numerous allegations of violence and vote buying, the EU acknowledges this was far from a free and fair election. 

    Lagos state alleged dinner party  

    An invitation card began circulating the media in the earlier hours of Tuesday, February 28. And the event was allegedly between the executive governor of Lagos state, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Igbo captains of industry, such as the Executive Chairman of Chisco group of companies, Chief Dr Chidi Anyaegbu and the Chairman/CEO of Air Peace, Mr Allen Onyema. 

    But the media aides of the Governor have since come on their platform to tag the flyer as fake news. 

    Get all the latest updates on the 2023 Presidential elections in one place.

    CLICK HERE

  • INEC is collating the 2023 election results, tensions are high, and I can bet my last ₦500 that — even though you’ve had to resume work — it’s probably not the first thing on your mind today. Don’t let these colleagues add to what’s already doing you.

    The bad news amplifiers

    It’s like these ones just turned on post notifications for the most horrible news. Yes, we know everything is going to shit, but please, #ProtectYourMentalHealth.

    Team “Why do you care so much?”

    If you check it very well, they’re probably already processing their japa papers, so they don’t care what happens. Lucky for you, Angela, but this is my own future. 

    The overly serious ones

    Anyone who’s 100% focused on work today obviously isn’t normal. I said what I said.

    The suspiciously happy ones

    They might be supporters of a certain overall-best-in-rigging party. You don’t need anyone to tell you they don’t mean you well.

    The low-budget INEC officers

    They have all the figures from every polling unit in the country. On the bright side, you can always go to them for the latest, but if they’re on your work team, sorry for you because you’ll have to do their work in addition to your own.

    The tribal advocates

    Avoiding this set of people is just common sense unless you want to get tempted to slap someone’s child and embrace unemployment.

    Your boss

    Today should’ve been a public holiday. No one should have to answer to capitalism when we’re trying not to die from anxiety.

    NEXT READ: How to Keep Going as We Wait for the Election Results

  • Buhari may have promised us free and fair elections, but what we’ve witnessed since the polls started yesterday has been anything but fair. On top of intimidation and violence, while most are done voting, some have not voted at all. Zikoko Citizen got some updates from a polling unit in Rivers state where an election didn’t happen.

    The turnout at the unit was interesting, with some voters getting there early enough

    This happened at a polling unit in Ward 14, Obio/Akpor LGA. People were eager to vote, with some first-time voters getting there as early as 8:30 a.m. to cast their votes.

    https://twitter.com/Lifeofdan_el/status/1629381305229008897?s=20

    But it seemed INEC didn’t get the memo

    Everyone was there but the INEC officials. This happened in many other polling units nationwide, where people had to wait for the INEC officials to show up.

    Two officials later came and said they had no clue there was a polling unit there at all

    Two INEC officials eventually showed up and said they weren’t aware that there was even a polling unit . They said they’ll inform their office and ensure that the assigned agents get there.

    https://twitter.com/Lifeofdan_el/status/1629435556865142786?s=20

    Two hours later…crickets

    Two hours passed, and there was still no sign of INEC or any voting materials at the polling unit. A concerned voter called INEC’s helpline to report the situation at the polling unit and was told they’ll receive the officials soon.

    https://twitter.com/Lifeofdan_el/status/1629457835103862785?s=20

    The materials finally came, but someone forgot to bring the result sheets

    At 3:16 p.m., an INEC official finally showed up, curiously conveyed in a vehicle with PDP agents. But what made things even more suspicious was when the voters were told that all the materials were now available, except that they conveniently forgot to bring the result sheets. The official wanted to leave to get them, but they held him down.

    https://twitter.com/Lifeofdan_el/status/1629499364925231104?s=20

    At 5:16 p.m., election still hadn’t commenced

    Someone called INEC again; this time, they were hostile and dismissive to the caller. The officials on site wanted to start accreditation without the results sheets, but the people said, “No way”.

    After being tired and frustrated the whole day, people left, and no vote was cast at the polling unit

    https://twitter.com/Lifeofdan_el/status/1629524933037510661?s=20

    As it turned out, there were other polling units where voting also didn’t happen

    These polling units had voters, but they didn’t have the votes. There are many polling units where people have been disenfranchised across the country, and INEC needs to cancel whatever results come from these places and carry out a rerun.

    Do you have a similar case in your polling unit? Talk to Zikoko Citizen by joining Citizen Situation Room on Whatsapp. You can also follow the election results live on our portal as INEC is collating them.

  • It’s the day after the 2023 presidential elections, and Nigerians are holding their breaths. While most are done voting, some are still voting.

    Everyone is waiting to see who will be the next tenant at Aso Rock — and we are getting pretty anxious while doing so.

    But we at Citizen are here to tell you today to calm down.

    Here’s why:

    Election results are not released immediately 

    Examples are the 2015 and 2019 presidential elections. 

    In 2015, the elections were held on 28 and 29 March, but the results were released on the 31. In 2019, the elections were held on February 23, and results were released three days after on the 26th. This is because the ballots take time to count and assess (usually between two to three days), and INEC tries to be as accurate as possible.

    Results take time to collate

    Nigeria has 176,846 polling units across 36 states and the FCT. As you have counted results in your PU, they will count in all PUs across the country. The results will move from individual PUs to local governments before they are transmitted to the states, from where they move to the national collation centre in Abuja, where they are all counted and the INEC chairman will declare the final votes.

    Why can’t everyone just send their results to Abuja via email?

    Falz

    Voting ongoing

    While voting might be over in your PU, there are several PUs across the country where polls are still open. This is due to factors like the late arrival of electoral officers, not enough electoral officers, and lack of voting infrastructure. While many ballots are on their way to central collation centres, some people are still voting.

    BVAS/iREV wahala

    Nigeria introduced the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machine to make the voting process easier, tackle over-voting, and make result collation faster. Unfortunately, the BVAS has had its battles and INEC has questions to answer.

    Because BVAS was supposed to make it easier to transmit results, Nigerians have been counting on INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) where results are to be uploaded live. Unfortunately, both BVAS and iREV are facing serious challenges and are currently unreliable.

    While one cannot say that this is a deliberate ploy by INEC to rig the election, it calls into question their efficiency and transparency, if results are being uploaded and people can’t see them clearly.

    Once INEC rectifies their iREV problems from the backend, or start announcing officially, you will find all the results here on Citizen.

    There have never been elections without court cases 

    Is it a Nigerian election if the losers don’t defend their stance in a court of law? Surely not. 

    In 2019, results were released in February. However, INEC still had to withdraw 64 certificates of return and give them to the winners of court cases in May. 

    There could be the possibility of a runoff election 

    Let’s not forget that we have three main contenders for Nigeria’s iron throne instead of the usual two political parties. 

    If any of the candidates do not get a simple majority of votes and 25% of votes in 24 states, we, as citizens, may need to come out to vote again in a runoff election. 

    So, for now, drink water, sleep well and take it easy. Also, follow Citizen’s 2023 election tracker for updates on the results. We got you!

    In the meantime, let’s try our best not to distribute fake election results. If in doubt, send a message to the Citizen Situation Room on Whatsapp and we will fact-check for you.

  • The polls are starting to close for the 2023 presidential elections, and polling unit results from various states across the country have started trickling in, along with other stories. Here are the updates:

    Some polling units started the voting process late

    Voters in Wumba village, Abuja, experienced difficulties in the voting process. This was due to excess voter turnout. Voters in Yenagoa, Bayelsa had only started sorting ballot papers around 7 p.m. (WAT).

    Some voters couldn’t vote at all

    Voters in some polling units in Sangotedo and Ajah could not vote. This happened due to the absence of INEC officials. A member of the Citizen Situation room narrated to us how she had to sadly go home after fourteen hours of waiting at the Sangotedo primary school polling unit.

    Some elections are postponed across the country

    Due to an absence of INEC officials and other difficulties, elections were postponed in certain parts of Bayelsa and Edo states for March 11. The same goes for the Enugu Senatorial Elections. This was due to the death of Labour Party candidate, Oyibo Chukwu.

    There was election violence in various parts of Nigeria

    Voters in Lagos, particularly in the Ikate-Elegushi and Aguda, experienced various forms of voter suppression. This included thuggery, harassment of voters and destruction of election materials in polling units.

    A writer at Zikoko, Omemi, relayed to us how she witnessed voter harassment when she followed her voter friend to her polling unit:

    “We were at the polling unit on Oba Elegushi street at 11 a.m. when a group of men, who looked like hoodlums, came and destroyed plastic chairs and scattered the environment. The first set of ballots were cancelled as a result. Even the INEC official ran away with the ballot papers and only returned after much pleading.”

    Polling unit results have been seen to trickle in

    Polling unit results are slowly being collated at local levels, and have started to be collated in various wards in the country. Citizen has an election tracker for polling unit result updates as they develop.

  • The long-awaited 2023 presidential and national assembly elections are finally here. Here’s what we’ve noticed so far:

    Polling units opened late

    Zikoko Citizen gathered updates across polling units in Lagos, Calabar and Anambra states indicating that voter accreditation started hours later after the appointed time of 8 a.m. Some, up till now (11 a.m. WAT), have yet to see signs of INEC officials at their polling stations.

    EFCC spotted at Tinubu’s polling unit

    The Citizen team is also out, and we spotted some officials from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). What could they be up to? We’ll send in more updates here.

    Tinubu arrives at the polling unit in Ikeja 

    Tinubu entering Ikeja polling unit [Ope Adetayo/Aljazeera]                 

    Supporters of the BAT jubilantly greeted the All-Progressives Congress (APC) candidate as he arrived at his polling unit to vote amidst a stream of bodyguards.

    Voting has been temporarily suspended in Ibadan

    Voting has been temporarily suspended at Oyelakin Balogun community primary school, Sanyo Ibadan. The local government is Ibadan South East. Polling Units are 36, 37 and 38.

    According to INEC’s rules, there should be three polling officials per unit, but only two are currently present. An electoral observer is filling for INEC; accreditation will be completed before voting starts.

    Voters have also complained that the BVAS machine is malfunctioning.

    Security officials detain loiterers

    Nigerians not participating in the voting process were picked up by security agents and detained for loitering.

    President Buhari casts vote for successor

    Today would be the last day that Buhari would vote as president of Nigeria — and the first time that he’d be absent from the ballot papers in 20 years.

    Against the Electoral Act’s mandated secret ballot, he revealed his ballot paper to show he voted for APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu in his hometown of Daura, Katsina.

    Peter Obi votes in Anambra 

    Peter Obi votes in Anambra [Channels Television]

    The presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has cast his vote in his hometown of Agulu in Anambra State.

    According to the Stears predictive poll, Obi can only win if he has a high voter turnout in the polls. Read more here.

  • [countdown date=”Feb 25, 2023 7:00:00″]

    Nigerians have less than 2 days to the presidential election to decide who’d be their next president. Over the last couple of weeks, we have given you tips on how to vote as a first-time voter, how to survive on election day and even how to check election results.

    But what happens if violence occurs in your polling unit? What if you get picked up by security agents illegally? If there is anything you should know about Nigeria, it’s that we have a large history of election violence. But do not be deterred, you’ve got this.

    We have a list of mobile phone apps and websites that could possibly save your life in the eventuality of violence:

    The Election Violence Incident Tracker (Evit.ng)

    Launched in February 2023, the Election Violence Tracker displays in real-time the early warning signs and triggers of election violence across the country.

    In particular, voters in Lagos, Osun, Kwara and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) would be able to use the pilot phase of this app during the 2023 elections.

    Users can also:

    • Report cases of electoral violence.
    • Identify potential risks with an incident analysis dashboard
    • Detect early warning signs.
    • Inform security agencies
    • Generate relevant reports to identify problem areas throughout the elections.

    aptResponse

    There is the possibility of getting arrested on Election Day, and aptResponse is here with the perfect lawyer plugs.

    The app was built by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Boma Alabi. With the app, you can get emergency legal aid. You can also report an incident, receive critical information on the law and be part of a community where legal tips for citizens are being shared on the app

    Citizens can download this via Google Play store 

    Help OS

    Think of helpOs like ride-hailing apps, Bolt and Uber, but for medical emergencies.

    In case one is injured and in need of grave medical attention due to election violence, all you need to do is to type the location of your polling unit and an ambulance would come to the rescue.

    This app can be downloaded via the Google Play store and Apple App Store

  • [countdown date=”Feb 25, 2023 7:00:00″]

    Barring any last-minute changes — like in 2019 — the 2023 general elections will go on as scheduled on February 25, 2023. The elections, especially for the top job of the president, are seen by many as crucial and likely to set the direction of Nigeria for years to come.

    The elections are significant for several reasons. For one, there’s been an unprecedented surge in youth participation. There’s also the emergence of a credible third force. The Electoral Act 2022 will come into use at scale with new technologies like the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

    Without wasting time, here are a few things to expect in the 2023 elections.

    Higher voter turnout than in 2019

    2019 recorded historic lows, with only 34.75% of registered voters showing up at the polls, less than the 50.96% historical average. 

    The three states with the lowest voter turnout were Lagos (18.95%), Abia (20.16%) and Rivers (21.09%). On the other hand, the three states with the highest voter turnout were Jigawa (55.67%), Katsina (50.74%) and Sokoto (50.13%).

    Nigeria has an unwritten agreement of alternating the presidency between the North and the South. Two of the frontrunners in the 2023 presidential race are from the South. Therefore, expect a much-improved turnout from the southern states. 

    The looming possibility of a runoff

    Nigerian elections typically get decided on the first ballot. This is due to the duopoly between the leading parties, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC). However, the emergence of a third force in the Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) means there’s a good chance the big two won’t dominate as they usually do. 

    The constitutional requirement for winning the presidency is not just a simple majority but winning with a spread of at least a quarter of votes in two-thirds of Nigerian states. Many people interpret this to mean 25% in 24 states. If nobody meets these requirements, then a runoff happens, which INEC will conduct within 21 days of the first round of balloting. We wrote everything you need to know about that here.

    Heavy security presence

    First-time voters may be surprised by the presence of heavy security officers during the polls. To ease your mind, they’re only there to ensure the smooth conduct of the election. 

    Neither the military nor the police will interfere with the democratic process — unless you go out of your way to be a nuisance. The Electoral Act empowers presiding officers to call on the police to arrest voters who may be impersonating. Underage voting is also not allowed. 

    Free flow of traffic

    This is what Ikorodu road in Lagos looked like on election day in 2019.

    [Empty Lagos roads on election day. AFP]

    It’s best to sort out your needs before this Saturday’s polls. If you had Owambe planned, you should revisit your calendar to postpone because polls will severely restrict traffic during voting hours. Please don’t say we didn’t do anything for you.

    Party agents

    There are over 176,000 polling units in Nigeria. On election day, each of them will be monitored by party agents. These are people accredited by political parties and INEC to watch proceedings during the voting process. You would see them wearing tags indicating the parties they represent. 

    Party agents can call the attention of election officials if they suspect someone isn’t who they claim to be, that is, an impersonator. Per the Electoral Act, they can also challenge a count at the end of polls if they believe the presiding officer made an error. The presiding officer must do a recount, but only once.

    Party agents are pretty observant. During the counting process, if they notice that a voter’s choice isn’t clear on the ballot paper, maybe because of smudged ink that leads to a vote cast for two different parties, they’ll object loudly. So as not to have your ballot voided, shine your eyes when voting. We did a video explainer on that here.

    What else should I know?

    If you need help determining where your polling unit is, click the link here to confirm or follow the prompt in the screenshot below.

    We also did an explainer here on how to survive election day. Our election tracker goes live on February 25. Get yourself up to date with verified results from across the country by visiting this link.