Voter Education: Voting and Voter’s registration, Importance of voting

Voter’s education is a process of teaching, training and learning about a political activity that will guide the electorates before, during and after the election in a country.

Voting

Voting in its widest meaning is an act of choosing candidates of choice by the electorates or voters.

The electorate will go to the polling station on a voting day, to exercise their civic right.

At the poll, each of the electorate or voter is given a ballot paper and after thumbprint secretly drops it in a ballot box of the candidate or party of his choice.  There are electoral officials to hand over the ballot papers to the voters and to monitor the conduct of the process.

VOTER’S REGISTRATION

Voter’s registration is the act of preparing an official record of those that are qualified to vote during the election period. i.e any body that attains the ages of 18years and above and of sane mind are qualified to vote.

Voters list must be publicly displayed for objections and complains that may arise.

Evaluation See your work book for the exercise.

Process of Voting

Before the date of Election each qualified voter is expected to have registered.  At the registration centre he will be given a voter’s card which qualifies him for voting on the day of election.

On election day, the electorate goes to the centre where he was registered.  He presents his voter’s card and he will be accredited for voting.

After accreditation, he is given the ballot paper where all the political parties and their logos are written.

IMPORTANCE OF VOTING

1. Voting create avenue for people to participate in the decision – making of their country.
2. It is an instrument for a peaceful change of bad leaders or dictatorial government.
3. Voting is the yard stick for measuring public opinion either to vote against during election period.
4. It is an instrument for promoting national unity in a plural society like Nigeria.
5. People are given equal status or equal political opportunity to elect their representatives.

Evaluation

1. List the importance of voting or see your work book for exercise.