Summary

Project 2011 Swift Count, an initiative of FOMWAN, JDPC, NBA and TMG, trained, accredited and deployed approximately 1,000 observers to all 774 local government areas (LGAs) for the voter registration exercise. During the first half of the voter registration exercise, Project 2011 Swift Count observers were deployed to registration centres nationwide on Saturday January 15, Thursday January 20 and Saturday January 22. Throughout each day observers sent in reports at assigned times via coded text messages using their mobile phones.

Reports from Project 2011 Swift Count observers clearly show that the beginning of the exercise was fraught with registration centres not opening, equipment problems and procedural challenges (such as scanners having difficultly reading registrants finger prints). However, observer reports also indicate that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has taken important steps to address these issues during the first week of the exercise and the number of problems being reported by observers has decreased significantly. Overall, Project 2011 Swift Count observation data suggests that INEC is gaining momentum from a very slow start.