Voter registration in West and East Africa: an overview

Voter registration is the requirement that an eligible voter be entered on the electoral register before being allowed to vote. In Ghana the Electoral Commission compiles and revises the register and issues a Voter ID card; the legal voting age is 18. In Nigeria the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) runs a continuous registration exercise that produces the Permanent Voters Card (PVC); the voting age is 18. In Kenya the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) registers Kenyans aged 18 and over, including the diaspora, using the national ID or passport. In each country, registration requires a valid form of identification and a recent residential address or polling-station preference, and is generally free of charge.