The Tanzania Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) revealed to stakeholders key improvements to the Biometric Voter Registration Kit (BVR Kit), including transitioning to an Android-based system. This was during a stakeholders’ meeting in Dar es Salaam ahead of the voter register improvement exercise, which is set to take place from March 17 to March 23, 2025.
One of the major enhancements is the portability of the new kit. Compared to the 2019/2020 model, which weighed about 35 kilograms, the latest version weighs approximately 18 kilograms and includes a tablet, printer, and fingerprint scanner.
The system has also been upgraded to integrate with the NIDA database. Additionally, eligible voters can update their records online through a self-registration option. The online system will be activated two days before the voter update exercise begins in a specific region and will be deactivated two days before the exercise concludes.
To prevent duplicate registrations, the system will match voters’ fingerprints against existing records to detect any double registration attempts. Although the new BVR Kit includes SIM card functionality, it is capable of operating entirely offline. Data collected in offline mode will be uploaded to the system once an internet connection is available, addressing connectivity challenges in remote areas.
In the meeting INEC announced that the voter register update exercise in Dar es Salaam will be conducted from March 17 to March 23, 2025.
“In Dar es Salaam, there are a total of 1,757 stations for voter information updates. This marks an increase of 96 stations from the 1,661 stations in 2019/2020,” said Ramadhani Kailima, INEC’s Director of Elections. The Commission expects to register approximately 643,420 new voters in Dar es Salaam, an 18.7% increase from the current 3,427,917 registered voters.
