Smart card readers and the quality of the 2019 general elections in Nigeria: successes and challenges

Abstract

ABSTRACT The adoption of smart card technology in many parts of Africa has contributed to the credibility and integrity of elections. As an integral part of the biometric voting system which checks the authenticity of voters and reduces the possibility of electoral fraud and irregularities, the smart card technology has been seen to have improved the integrity of elections since its introduction in Nigeria’s electoral process. However, the application of smart card readers in the 2019 elections nonetheless poses some drawbacks which reflect in the conduct and management of elections. Apart from the malfunctioning of a smart card reader which led to manual voting, the inability of the technological device to authenticate permanent voter cards, the indiscretion of INEC officials to allow unaccredited voters to vote in some voting locations, the structural and systemic failure of the Nigerian state relating to the crisis of election management contributed to the challenges encountered in the use of the smart cards in the 2019 electoral process. This article demonstrates that these factors undermined the integrity of the elections.