BVAS means Bimodal Voter Accreditation System. It is used to verify voters through biometric checks and has a separate role in handling polling-unit results. Understanding those roles makes it easier to follow both election-day instructions and reports about technology problems.
Accreditation answers an identity question
INEC's voter education page describes fingerprint verification, with facial recognition when fingerprint capture fails. Its guidance also tells voters to attend their assigned unit with their physical PVC. Read the latest instructions for the election before travelling.
Accreditation checks a voter before a ballot is issued. It is a distinct stage from marking and casting that ballot. The number of people accredited and the number of votes recorded therefore describe different things; a report should make clear which figure it is using.
BVAS also supports the result process
INEC's 25 February 2026 statement explains that the completed polling-unit result image is uploaded to IReV and party scores are entered into BVAS. Biometric verification and handling the result are separate operations. The public image is a result record, not a list showing how each accredited person voted.
On 25 February 2026, INEC described additional BVAS checks involving entered party scores, arithmetic consistency and accreditation totals. That announcement describes safeguards; it is not evidence that every device worked perfectly in every later contest. Performance claims need evidence from the election concerned.
Describe a problem precisely
“BVAS failed” can conceal several different claims. Was the device unavailable, unable to start, unable to match one voter's biometrics, or unable to complete a later result upload? Establish the stage and location before repeating the report.
A network problem after counting should not be described as proof that no voter was accredited. Equally, a functioning device in one unit does not establish that every unit operated normally. Distinguish what a witness observed from their explanation of the cause.
- Record the polling-unit code and approximate time.
- Identify the operation affected: accreditation or result handling.
- Note whether the issue affected one voter or the unit's wider process.
- Look for the responsible official's explanation and any subsequent update.
What a voter can do
Follow the polling official's instructions during verification. If a check is unsuccessful, ask what official next step applies and whether another authorised check or escalation is available. Do not let an unofficial helper take your card away or collect biometric details on a private device.
If a problem remains unresolved, make a concise factual record when it is safe to do so. State what happened to you without publishing another voter's identity or claiming a technical diagnosis you cannot substantiate. The appropriate response to a device problem must come from the election officials and current procedures, not a circulating shortcut.
Frequently asked questions
Is accreditation the same as casting a vote?
No. Accreditation is the verification stage before voting. A count of accredited voters should not be presented as a party's votes.
Does a delayed upload prove that accreditation failed?
No. They are separate operations. Establish which operation was affected, where it happened and what evidence supports the explanation.
