election and voter responsibilities by eguriase s. m. okaka
Election and Voter Responsibility
By Eguriase S. M. Okaka
An election is the process of choosing candidates, from among interested persons, who will represent the people or occupy a political office.
An election is a very important ingredient of democracy. Democracy requires that leaders do not make themselves or impose themselves on the led. Instead people are to choose their leaders.
In our modern society, election is not only used in choosing people who serve in the executive and legislative arms of government, but also in the society choosing leaders or representatives for example among families, communities, trade unions, church, towns unions, etc.
A voter is a person who is eligible to vote in an election. To qualify to vote, one must:
• Be of age, that is, an adult. Here in Nigeria, a person must be up to eighteen (18) years of age.
• Register to vote. Only citizens who register their names are allowed to vote during general election.
Voting is the process of taking part in an election, and choosing a candidate of your choice. Voting takes place periodically in societies. Here in Nigeria, it is once in four (4) years.
Different Types of Elections
There are different types of election in societies. These include:
Primary Election: This is the election that enables each political party to elect those who will contest general election on the platform of the party.
General Election: This is the election that allows qualified citizens of a country to those who will govern them for a specified period of time. General elections in Nigeria take place at three broad levels. This gives citizens the opportunity of electing the president, members of the National Assembly, the governors, members of the House of Assembly, chairman and counselors of the local government.
Bye-election: A by-election is an election that is conducted after a general election to fill a vacant position resulting from death, resignation, disqualification, etc. of a political officeholder.
Recall: A recall election is an election that is conducted between one general election and the other to determine whether an elected member who is perceived to be performing below expectations should be recalled or not.
Referendum: This is an election that requires all adult citizens to vote on an issue of national importance. As a result, a referendum is not conducted at any fixed time. Rather, it is conducted when there is issue that necessitates it.
Plebiscite: This is an election that enables the people of a country or a state to decide an issue that is important to the people. But unlike referendum, decisions reached after a plebiscite is advisory. They are not binding on the government of the day.
Indirect Election: This is the type of election in which the people do not elect their representatives directly. Instead, they elect a group who will finally conduct the election. This elected group that will finally elect those to represent or govern the people is referred to as the Electoral College.
Supplementary Election: This is an election that is held after a general election in places where an election could not hold or held but was cancelled due to one fault or the other.
Re-run Election: This is election that is held after a general election that failed to produce a winner. When this happens, the electoral body fixes a date for another election that may enable a winner to emerge. This second election is called a re-run election.
Basic qualifications for Elections in Nigeria
There are basic qualifications a person must possess before he or she is allowed to participate in an election in Nigeria. These qualifications are:
• One must be a Nigerian citizen; either by birth, naturalization or registration.
• One must be eighteen (18) years of age and above.
• One must be a registered voter before the actual election take place.
• One must be physically present at the voting center at the time of the election.
• One must be sane, that is, have normal mental health.
In every election in Nigeria, as everywhere, two categories of people are involved.
a) Those to vote (the electorate).
b) Those to be voted for (the politicians).
The basic conditions for an election treated above are for the electorates, not for those to be voted for or the politicians. The basic qualifications for election for those to be voted for (i.e. the politicians) are as follows:
• He/she must be a Nigerian citizen.
• He/she must be of age as required by the constitution.
• He/she have paid his taxes for the past three years before the election year.
• He/she must be a registered member of a political party.
• He/she must possess certain basic educational qualifications.
• He/she must not be a member of a secret society.
• He/she must be mentally balanced.
• He/she must not be an ex-convict.
• He/she must not be bankrupt.
• He/she must not be a public servant. He/she must resign from the public service if he/she was one before.
Responsibility of a Voter
For an election to be done in an orderly and peaceful manner, voters have many responsibilities to live up to. The responsibilities include:
• Every voter must report at his or her polling station some minutes before polling time.
• He/she must come along with the voter’s card that will enable the electoral officer(s) to recognize him/her as a genuine or registered voter.
• He/she must remain quiet at the polling center and listen attentively to the instructions of electoral officer(s).
• He/she must present him/her self for the accreditation exercise and for actual voting, while remaining orderly in the queue quietly.
• He/she must vote according to his/her conscience and not attach sentiment.
• He/she must not vote more than one time.
• He/she must respect electoral laws and report any case of electoral malpractices.
• He/she must not try to influence another voter.
• He/she must avoid violence.
• He/she must accept the official election result whether it favors the candidate he/she voted for or not.
Procedure for Voting
Voting procedure means the step-by-step ways of voting. This is to make voting orderly and peaceful. The procedure for voting includes the following:
• Go to the polling center where you registered as a voter.
• Queue alongside other voters for accreditation. This is to approve you to be eligible to vote.
• Queue alongside others again for actual voting.
• Collect a ballot paper that will enable you cast your vote for the person and political party of your choice.
• Thumb-print in the box by the side of the name and logo of the political party of your choice.
• Fold the ballot paper very carefully in such a way that the ink on your thumb does not spread to another portion(s) of the ballot paper. Doing otherwise will render your ballot paper useless and your effort null and void.
• Drop your thumb-printed ballot paper in the box provided for it.
• Leave the queue quietly for those who have not voted.
• Go home immediately or remain at the polling center quietly until votes are counted and the results announced.
• Write down the results announced.
Importance of an Election
An election is important for the following reason:
• Exercise of Right of Choice: An election provides citizens with the right to choose those to govern them.
• Opportunity for peaceful change of government: With an election, citizens are enabled to choose those to govern them in a peaceful manner and also to change them peacefully if they do not perform well.
• Empowerment of the people: An election empowers the ordinary people to choose those to govern them. Without the opportunity of an election, the political slogan, ‘power to the people’ is empty and unrealizable.
• Legitimacy of the Government: Through an election, government is formed and the government is said to have legitimacy. Without an election, no government is legitimate.
• Creation and sustenance of Democracy: Through an election, democracy comes into being. An election also ensures the sustenance of democracy because people continuously chose who they want by the power of their votes.
• Political Education: During election periods, there are campaigns and public discussions of issues by candidates on the radio, television, newspaper, leaflets and posters. These help to educate people and create an awareness of the alternative programs of government.
• Encouragement of accountability: Because leaders know that the people may not re-elect them if they do not govern well, they make efforts to do their best. Through this, accountability is encouraged.
• Development: The expectation of an election and the way it puts politicians on their toes brings about development in the society.
Questions
• Explain the term, election.
• Who is a voter?
• Mention any two qualifications of a voter in Nigeria;
• What is voting?
• Mention and explain types of election.
• State four reasons why an election is important in the society.
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