Why Parties Should Independently Verify Polling-Unit Results
Political parties, accredited observers and media organisations can independently collate polling-unit results without replacing INEC’s legal role in certifying an election. Their records can be compared with official declarations to identify arithmetic errors, transmission issues or unexplained changes. For this to work, polling-unit result forms should be publicly available, signed copies should be accessible to party agents and observers, and every correction during collation should be documented. A clear audit trail allows citizens to follow figures from the polling unit to the final declaration. Independent verification should support, not compete with, lawful certification. Parties and observers must not present their own tallies as official results, but INEC should be able to reconcile every final total with the underlying polling-unit records. Transparent collation, prompt publication of results and fair resolution of disputes can strengthen public confidence that votes were counted accurately.
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