Everything you need to vote in Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, in plain language. This guide is based on the Electoral Act 2026 and announcements from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). INEC’s instructions always take priority: if anything here differs from what INEC announces, follow INEC.
Election dates
- Saturday 16 January 2027: Presidential and National Assembly elections. You get three ballot papers: President, Senate and House of Representatives.
- Saturday 6 February 2027: Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections. You get two ballot papers: Governor and State House of Assembly. There are no governorship or state assembly elections in the FCT.
Can I vote?
You can vote if you are a Nigerian citizen, aged 18 or over, and registered with INEC. Voter registration for the 2027 elections has closed. If you registered during an earlier exercise and your registration is still valid, you can vote at the polling unit where you are registered.
To check your registration, see where you are registered, or track your voter card, use INEC’s voter portal at cvr.inecnigeria.org.
Get your Permanent Voter Card (PVC)
You cannot vote without your PVC. The Electoral Act 2026 requires every voter to present a Permanent Voter Card to be accredited. Being on the register is not enough.
- Collect it yourself. PVC collection is strictly personal. Nobody can collect your card for you, and it is an offence to try.
- Collection dates. In recent elections, INEC first distributed cards at ward (Registration Area) level for a set period, then at its local government offices. INEC will announce the timetable for the 2027 elections. We will post it on our live feed as soon as it is published.
- Downloadable PVCs. The new law allows INEC to issue voter cards that can be downloaded. Follow INEC’s announcements on whether and how this applies to you.
- Keep it safe. Never sell, lend or give your PVC to anyone. Anyone who asks to buy or “keep” your card is committing an offence.
Before election day
- Confirm your polling unit on INEC’s voter portal. You can only vote at the polling unit where you are registered.
- Plan how to get there. Movement is usually restricted on election day, so expect little or no transport. Aim to be at or near your polling unit the night before if you live far away.
- Check the candidates on your ballot and read their plans.
- Be wary of viral messages about changed dates, new rules or cancelled polls. Check them against INEC’s official channels or our fact checks.
On election day, step by step
- Arrive early and join the queue. INEC announces polling hours before each election. In recent elections, polling units opened at 8:30am and closed at 2:30pm. Anyone already in the queue at closing time is allowed to vote.
- Get accredited. Show your PVC to the polling officials. They check that you are on the register and verify you with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which reads your fingerprint or face. The law now requires BVAS or other INEC-approved technology for accreditation.
- Collect your ballot papers. The presiding officer stamps and signs each ballot before handing it to you.
- Vote in secret. In the voting cubicle, mark your choice using your thumb and the ink provided, in the box for one party only on each ballot.
- Fold and drop. Fold each ballot so your vote can’t be seen and put it into the right ballot box in front of everyone.
- Stay for the count if you wish. Votes are counted in public at the polling unit once voting ends. You may stay and watch, peacefully and at a distance.
Rules to know
- Don’t take a phone or camera into the voting cubicle, and don’t show anyone how you voted.
- Buying or selling votes is a crime, whether in cash, food, goods or bank transfers. So is voting more than once or in someone else’s name.
- No campaigning, party clothing or campaign materials at the polling unit.
- No weapons at or near polling units.
If you need help to vote
- Elderly voters, voters with disabilities, and pregnant or nursing women should be given priority in the queue. Ask the polling officials.
- If you can’t mark your ballot yourself, you may bring a person of your choice to help you. They must not influence your vote.
- The Electoral Act 2026 adds support for visually impaired voters and allows separate queues where cultural norms require it.
Results
After counting, the results for each polling unit are written on an official form (Form EC8A), signed, and posted at the polling unit. Under the Electoral Act 2026, the presiding officer must then send the result electronically to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV), where anyone can see it.
Only INEC declares winners. Treat results shared by parties, agents or social media as unofficial until INEC announces them. We report results only as INEC publishes them.
Living outside Nigeria?
Nigerians abroad cannot vote from outside the country in 2027. INEC has said diaspora voting would require changes to both the Constitution and the Electoral Act. To vote, you must be registered, have your PVC, and vote in person at your polling unit in Nigeria.
Report a problem
- Problems with registration, your PVC or your polling unit: contact INEC through the official channels listed on inecnigeria.org, or visit your INEC local government office.
- Violence or threats: move to safety and call the national emergency number, 112.
- A false claim going round: send it to us at corrections@naijavote.tech and we may fact-check it.
Have a question this guide doesn’t answer? Ask the Election Bot on our live feed.
Checked against INEC announcements and the Electoral Act 2026 as of 25 September 2026. We update this guide as INEC publishes new information.