MyPollingUnit FAQ

Question 1

How do I create an account?

Accepted Answer

Sign up with your email (or supported social sign-in) from the homepage. A basic account lets you browse public forums and voter education. Verify your PVC to unlock your polling-unit community and the reporting features.

Question 2

What is MyPollingUnit?

Accepted Answer

MyPollingUnit is an independent Nigerian civic platform to find your polling unit, get verified as a voter, report what happens at your PU on election day (incidents, results, PU reports), discuss in forums, follow elections, and learn through voter education. It's a website and an Android app, and it's completely free.

Question 3

How do I get verified as a voter?

Accepted Answer

Upload a clear photo of your PVC plus a selfie. An admin reviews it and you're notified. Verified voters can submit results, file PU reports, join their polling-unit forum, vote in verified-only polls, and create community polls. You only verify once.

Question 4

How do I find my polling unit?

Accepted Answer

Use 'Find PU' (web sidebar / mobile Map tab). Search by name or code, or browse State → LGA → Ward. Where coordinates exist you can navigate to it on the map.

Question 5

What if my polling unit is not listed?

Accepted Answer

Use 'Report Missing PU'. Provide the State, LGA, Ward and the unit name plus any landmark/INEC reference. An admin reviews and adds it, and you're notified when it's available.

Question 6

My PVC shows an old PU / I changed PU on the INEC site. How do I fix it?

Accepted Answer

You don't need to re-verify. Use Contact Support and tell us your new INEC polling unit (include the INEC letter/reference if you have it). An admin moves your account to the new PU — you stay verified and are automatically moved into the new PU's forum. The change is logged for audit.

Question 7

Joining Your Polling Unit Forum

Accepted Answer

After PVC verification, you are automatically connected to your polling unit’s dedicated discussion forum.

Question 8

Discovering and Joining Public Forums

Accepted Answer

Browse and join public discussion forums created by the community on a wide range of topics.

Question 9

Can I create my own forum & what are the rules?

Accepted Answer

Any registered user can create a public forum (Discover → Create Forum) with its own name, description and rules. Keep discussion respectful and fact-based — hate speech, harassment, misinformation and spam are removed, and content is moderated by forum creators and admins.

Question 10

Participating in Forum Discussions

Accepted Answer

Learn how to send text messages, voice notes, images, and emojis in forums. Reply to others, edit or delete your messages, and report inappropriate content.

Question 11

Where do I see elections?

Accepted Answer

The Elections section lists upcoming and ongoing elections with dates and types. Result submission and PU reports are tied to a specific election.

Question 12

How do I submit an election result?

Accepted Answer

You must be verified. Go to Submit Result, pick the election, and upload 1–5 clear photos of the official result sheet. Submissions are reviewed before publication.

Question 13

How do I report an incident?

Accepted Answer

Use Report Incident. Pick a category and severity, describe what happened, and optionally add a photo and tag your location. Verified voters can report. False reports can lead to suspension — only report genuine incidents.

Question 14

How is my constituency decided?

Accepted Answer

It's derived automatically from your polling unit (senatorial / federal / state) — you never pick it. For a senatorial / House-of-Reps / State-Assembly election you'll see the specific constituency you're submitting for; for presidential/governorship it isn't shown. If a shown value looks wrong, tap 'Report wrong' and an admin reviews it.

Question 15

What is a PU report and how do I file one?

Accepted Answer

A structured first-hand account of one polling unit during one election: overall rating, conduct of police/officials/party agents, key facts (did it hold, start on time, materials, suppression, violence), a narrative, and optional media. Verified observers can file reports, but only for PUs in their own ward. Reports go to admin review before publication.

Question 16

What is the Explore map?

Accepted Answer

An interactive colour-coded map of all 37 states. 'Density' mode shades each state by how many polling units it has; 'Observer Reports' mode shades it by the dominant traffic-light rating from PU reports there (green good, amber fair, red concerning; uncoloured = none yet). Click a state to drill into its LGAs, wards, results and incidents.

Question 17

How do polls work and can I create one?

Accepted Answer

Open Polls to vote. Each poll is 'Everyone' (any signed-in user) or 'Verified Only' (PVC-verified). After voting you see live results including a demographics breakdown. You can react, comment, share, and report a poll/comment. Verified voters can tap 'Create Poll' (question, options, audience) — community polls go through admin review and carry a community-poll badge.

Question 18

How do direct messages work?

Accepted Answer

Open Messages to chat privately. You can message people you share a forum with, and admins can be messaged any time. You can block users or turn off DMs in Profile settings.

Question 19

How do I contact support / an admin?

Accepted Answer

Use Contact Support (top of Messages). It opens a ticket with the MyPollingUnit team — any available admin can answer and you'll see the reply there. You can attach a picture. If no admin replies within 2 hours the team is automatically emailed.

Question 20

Is there an AI assistant?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Support section has an 'Assistant' that answers common questions about how MyPollingUnit works, instantly. If it can't help, tap 'Talk to a human' (or the Human toggle) to switch to a real support ticket with an admin.

Question 21

Profile, Notifications & Privacy Settings

Accepted Answer

Update your details, control which emails you get, manage who can message you, and block/unblock users.

Question 22

How do I control email notifications?

Accepted Answer

Profile → Email Notifications. Individually toggle election reminders, incident alerts, admin broadcasts, forum activity, and verification updates. Changes save immediately.

Question 23

How do I block someone or stop people messaging me?

Accepted Answer

Profile → Direct Messages: switch off 'Allow direct messages' so regular users can't start a conversation (the admin team can always still reach you for support/safety). You can also block a specific user from a chat or their profile; your Profile lists everyone you've blocked with an 'Unblock' button.

Question 24

How is my data handled / how do I delete my account?

Accepted Answer

See the Privacy Policy for what's collected and why. Delete your account yourself from the Delete Account page (linked from Profile); this removes your personal and demographic data. PVC/selfie images are auto-purged after a short retention window.

Question 25

Is there a mobile app & how do I update it?

Accepted Answer

Yes — a MyPollingUnit Android app. Install it from the Google Play Store or the Download page. It updates itself automatically on launch; if a screen looks out of date, fully close the app and reopen it once or twice. An iOS app is planned.

Question 26

Can I advertise on MyPollingUnit?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Use the Advertise page to choose a placement/duration and pay, then 'My Ads' to build each ad's creative. Submitted ads go through admin review. In My Ads each slot shows its status: incomplete, in review, active (with end date), rejected, or refunded. A rejected slot can be edited and resubmitted; otherwise the relevant refund (minus any stated deduction) is processed automatically.

Question 27

Where can I learn about voting?

Accepted Answer

The Education / Learn section has published, fact-checked, non-partisan articles on the voting process, your rights, civic responsibilities, INEC guidelines and election integrity. New articles are added regularly.

Frequently Asked Questions

📋Getting Started

🛡️Account & Verification

📍Polling Units

👥Forums & Community

🗳️Elections, Results & Incidents

📋PU Reports

🧭Explore Map

📊Polls & Surveys

💬Messaging & Support

🔒Notifications & Privacy

📱Mobile App

📣Advertising

📚Voter Education

Still have questions?