Meet Election Monitor, the Social Startup Promoting Transparent Elections Electronically

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Elections in Nigeria are fast approaching, and with them comes the panic on the security and accuracy of election results. From procedural miscues to unavoidable human errors during collation at the different collation points (From polling units to the last collation point), the list of challenges embattling an election’s quality never seems to end.

Although the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) makes copies of results at all levels available to each political party agent and pastes them on the form EC 60 (E) at the polling units for citizens, many people (parties inclusive) do not take advantage of these results provided to develop their own custom-built internal collation system.

This calls for the need to have an efficient electronic system that allows for a quick and effective internal collation of election results to ensure the optimum accuracy of the collation process. This is why Election Monitor’s mobile app was born.

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Election Monitor’s Solution

Developed by the social startup, Election Monitor, the E-Compare Mobile app is aimed at promoting transparent election processes by strengthening the capacities of political parties and citizens to track election results during elections.

The startup was founded in 2011 by Abiodun Ajijola and has since then gone to establish itself as one of the 54 election observer groups accredited by INEC in Nigeria. And to aid this, it developed this innovative and first-of-its-kind mobile and web application for quick and effective internal collation of election results by political parties.

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How Does the App Work?

The app allows for real-time collation of election results via an android mobile phone. With a web interface, the platform is not hosted on the Internet but uses internet protocols for the transmission of results from the mobile phones to the results page. This is so that non-users would not be able to access it online.

Political party agents at different polling units are provided with a user account and password (created by the party) to access the platform. Upon creation, agents would be able to report results from their various polling units. And to ensure transparency and correct mistakes on the part of the agents, the app allows a photograph of the result sheet to be updated.

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After the submission of results, there would be a graphical display of results data for all levels of collation (Ward/RA, LGA, State and federal as the case may be). After which, results can be exported in pdf format at the different levels.

This system would not only test the transparency of INEC results but also bring greater acceptability of final results released because parties can attest to their veracity. In fact, plans are in place to have it used at the forthcoming Osun gubernatorial elections, this Saturday.

The app which is not available for download on any platform (for security reasons) would be provided for parties and citizen volunteers who sign up for the process.

 


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