Days, Not Weeks: Voter Registration Is About to Close

The Electoral Act 2026 moved the close of Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) to 90 days before election day. Counting back from Saturday, 16 January 2027, that puts the cut-off at around 18 October 2026 — a matter of days from now. INEC publishes the binding date, so treat ours as an estimate and check INEC's official channels.

CVR is not only for first-time voters. It is also the only window for transferring your registration if you have moved state or local government, correcting your details, or replacing a lost or damaged Permanent Voter Card. None of these can be done on election day.

Registration produces a Voter Identification Number that ties you to one polling unit — and only that unit. A PVC from your old address will not let you vote where you now live.

If you are already registered, your job this week is to look around you. Ask the young people in your house who have turned 18 since 2023. Ask the colleague who moved to your city. Every one of them who misses this window is a vote that cannot be cast in January.

Not sure where you stand? The 'Am I Ready?' check on the YFT App turns seven quick questions into your personal list of what to do next — it takes under a minute and your answers never leave your phone.