2019: INEC To Deploy Braille Ballot Papers For Blind People To Vote

INEC Promises Facilities For Physically Challenged Nigerians During 2019 Elections.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that the commission is set to introduce the use of ballot papers, printed in Braille to ensure that visually impaired persons vote unaided in the 2019 general elections.

Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made the announcement on Thursday, during a sensitization outreach at the University of Abuja Campus on the ongoing civic registration exercise.

The Commission’s boss further noted that the exercise is part of the commission’s effort to make the democratization exercise all inclusive for the People that are physically challenged in the country.

He noted that the commission had during the Anambra governorship election started with the provision of magnifying glasses for the albinos, promising that wheel chairs will also be provided for the cripples.

“For the visually impaired, we can provided ballot papers printed in Braille. For the albinos, we have started the use of magnifying glasses in Anambra, and the other phisically challenged people, we will be deploying wheelchairs,” Yakubu said.

The INEC boss assured the university community that registration centres have been opened on the campus and urged them to avail themselves of the opportunity to participate in the exercise.

He confirmed that those who registered in 2017 have begun to collect their cards in the first quarter of 2018 ahead of the 2019 general elections, adding that the four million registered in 2017 and another two million registered in 2018, will all collect their PVCs, promising that the 11 million Nigerians that will be registered before 2019 will all collect their pvcs.

“We have opened registration centre at the campus and I want you urge the university community to utilize the opportunity provided to them. Let me reassure that those who registered in 2017 have started collecting their cards in the first quarter of 2018 ahead of the 2019 general elections.
“The four million registered in 2017 and another two million registered in 2018, will all collect their PVCs. The 11 million Nigerians that will be registered before 2019 will all collect their PVCs,” he said.

Mr Cobham’s Asuquo , Music Producer who is visually impaired, had earlier urged INEC to assist people living with disabilities to exercise their franchise in accordance with the secret ballot principle so that he would vote unaided, urging INEC; “to stop underaged voting stressing that the phenomenon is a reality.”