Electoral Commission and Electoral Officials Lesson Note
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
This SS2 GOVERNMENT lesson note covers Electoral Commission and Electoral Officials for First Term, Week 4.
Lesson Note
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
1. Define electoral commission.
2. State the functions of an electoral commission.
3. Define electoral officer.
4. Explain the roles of electoral officials.
A. DEFINITION OF ELECTORAL COMMISSION
An electoral commission is an independent or legally established body responsible for organising, conducting, supervising, and managing elections in a country.
In Nigeria, the body responsible for conducting elections into the offices of the President, governors, National Assembly, and State Houses of Assembly is the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The electoral commission ensures that elections are conducted in a free, fair, credible, and transparent manner according to the electoral laws of the country.
B. FUNCTION OF AN ELECTORAL COMMISSION
The functions of an electoral commission include the following:
1. Conducting elections: It organises and conducts elections at the appropriate time.
2. Voter registration: It registers eligible citizens who are qualified to vote.
3. Registration of political parties: It registers political parties according to the laws of the country.
4. Preparation of voters’ register: It prepares and maintains an accurate list of eligible voters.
5. Provision of electoral materials: It provides ballot papers, ballot boxes, and other materials needed for elections.
6. Appointment of electoral officials: It recruits and trains officials to conduct elections.
7. Voter education: It educates citizens on the importance of voting and the proper procedures for participating in elections.
8. Announcement of election results: It announces and declares election results where it is legally authorised to do so.
9. Monitoring political activities: It monitors relevant political activities to ensure compliance with electoral laws.
10. Ensuring free and fair elections: It takes appropriate measures to prevent electoral malpractice and promote credible elections.
C. DEFINITION OF ELECTORAL OFFICER
An electoral officer is a person appointed or employed by an electoral commission to perform specific duties relating to voter registration, election preparation, voting, counting, or the collation of election results.
Electoral officers help the electoral commission to carry out its responsibilities effectively and ensure that elections follow established rules and procedures.
Examples of electoral officials include:
1. Returning officers
2. Presiding officers
3. Polling officers
4. Registration officers
5. Collation officers
6. Electoral supervisors
D. ROLES OF ELECTORAL OFFICIALS
The roles of electoral officials include the following:
1. Voter registration: Registration officers register eligible voters and help maintain voters' records.
2. Distribution of electoral materials: They ensure that election materials reach the appropriate polling units.
3. Verification of voters: They check voters' eligibility and verify their identities according to approved procedures.
4. Management of polling units: Presiding officers organise and supervise voting activities at polling units.
5. Issuing ballot papers: They issue ballot papers to eligible voters according to electoral procedures.
6. Maintaining order: They help maintain order and ensure that voting takes place peacefully.
7. Supervision of voting: They ensure that voting follows the rules and that voters are treated fairly.
8. Counting of votes: They count votes according to established electoral procedures.
9. Collation of results: Collation officers collect and compile results from different polling units or lower levels of collation.
10. Declaration of results: Returning officers declare results for elections they are legally authorised to handle.
Evaluation
OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS
Instruction: Choose the correct answer from options A–D.
1. An electoral commission is responsible for ______.
A. building roads
B. conducting elections
C. making school uniforms
D. collecting school fees
2. The electoral body responsible for conducting national elections in Nigeria is ______.
A. NNPC
B. NAFDAC
C. INEC
D. NUC
3. One of the major functions of an electoral commission is ______.
A. registering eligible voters
B. constructing hospitals
C. training soldiers
D. printing textbooks
4. A person appointed to perform duties relating to elections is called a/an ______.
A. electoral officer
B. traditional ruler
C. police prosecutor
D. school inspector
5. Which of the following is an example of an electoral official?
A. Head teacher
B. Returning officer
C. Medical doctor
D. Market leader
6. The official who supervises voting activities at a polling unit is the ______.
A. presiding officer
B. chief judge
C. school principal
D. minister
7. The process of compiling election results from different polling units is called ______.
A. campaigning
B. registration
C. collation
D. nomination
8. Which of the following promotes credible elections?
A. Vote buying
B. Ballot box snatching
C. Impartial electoral officials
D. Intimidation of voters
9. The electoral commission provides ______ for conducting elections.
A. electoral materials
B. farming equipment
C. hospital beds
D. road construction machines
10. One important duty of electoral officials is to ______.
A. manipulate election results
B. prevent voters from voting
C. report electoral irregularities
D. campaign for political parties
Theory Questions
Answer the following theory questions.
1a. Define an electoral commission.
1b. State five functions of an electoral commission.
2a. Define an electoral officer.
2b. Mention five examples of electoral officials.
2c. Explain five roles of electoral officials.