The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise will last for one year, ending on August 30, 2026.

The announcement was contained in a statement on Monday by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun.

According to the commission, the physical registration phase commenced on Monday across INEC’s 811 state and local government offices nationwide, following the launch of the online pre-registration portal on August 18, 2025.

INEC disclosed that within the first week of the online exercise, 1,379,342 Nigerians had pre-registered. A breakdown shows 661,846 (47.96%) males and 717,856 (52.04%) females, with young people between 18 and 34 years making up the majority at 860,286 (62.37%). Students accounted for 374,534 (27.15%), while 27,089 (1.96%) were persons with disabilities.

“The exercise will continue for one year until 30th August 2026. However, the Commission urges all intending registrants not to wait until the deadline approaches when, from experience, registration centres are inundated by last-minute applicants amidst appeals for extension,” Olumekun stated.

He reminded the public that the exercise is strictly for Nigerian citizens aged 18 and above who have not previously registered, stressing that double or multiple registration is illegal.

The CVR period, however, provides opportunities for voters to transfer registration from one location to another and to replace lost or damaged Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

“Once again, the Commission appeals to the public that the ongoing voter registration is only open to Nigerian citizens who are at least 18 years old and who are not registered voters. Double or multiple registration is a violation of the law,” Olumekun noted.