The Electoral Commission (EC) has stated that its Biometric Verification Devices (BVDs) used during today’s general elections, performed effectively, highlighting a significant reduction in processing time for voters.
Dr Benjamin Banor-Bioh, the EC’s Director of Electoral Services, made the statement during a press briefing on Saturday evening. He confirmed that due to the effectiveness of the BVDs, the time required to process each voter was significantly reduced.
“Our BVDs performed effectively, and the processing time for voters was reduced drastically. In fact, it took less than three minutes for each voter to be processed,” he said.
He further pointed out that despite reports from various media outlets suggesting voter apathy in some constituencies, the voter turnout had actually been “massive”. Dr Bano-Bioh emphasized this contradicting media reports from correspondents who had observed low turnout in the areas they visited.
“Reports reaching us indicate that it [Voter turnout] has been massive. The elections have been seamless devoid of the usual hustle that characterized the previous elections. This, we were able to achieve because we set up a strategy that ensures a smooth flow of elections,” he said.
He, however, failed to provide a specific percentage for the turnout, saying that it would be available after the process was fully over.
The EC has remained upbeat about the efficiency of the voting process, which they attribute to the successful implementation of the BVD technology and their overall preparation for the elections.
The Commission’s assurance comes as the country moves closer to the completion of the election as results are being counted and collated for final declarations