With barely a month remaining before Ghana’s 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections on December 7, the Electoral Commission (EC) has taken a major step toward ensuring transparency and readiness by handing over the final certified voters register to all participating political parties. The meeting, held at the EC’s headquarters, provided soft copies of the finalized voter list to each party.
Although the law only mandates the EC to deliver the voters register to political parties, the Commission has opted to provide additional statistical data as a resource, though not a legal requirement, according to the Commission’s statement.
The final register includes a comprehensive name reference list, which displays eligible voters’ photographs alongside their information, as well as special lists for individuals with specific exceptions to voting rules. This includes the absentee voter list, the transfer voter list, the proxy voter list, and the manual verification list, designed for individuals whose data might have been inaccurately captured.
During the handover ceremony, EC Chairperson Jean Mensah assured that the voters register is both robust and secure, with no issues raised by political parties regarding its accuracy. She added that the EC had provided political parties with an opportunity to report any irregularities, but no concerns were flagged, which she interpreted as unanimous confidence in the register.
Mensah expressed gratitude to the political parties, representatives of presidential candidates, and the Ghanaian public for their trust in the EC. She thanked God for guiding the Commission and pledged the EC’s commitment to conducting a free, fair, credible, and transparent election on December 7, 2024.
Dr. Yaw Ofori Adjei, the EC’s Information Technology (IT) Consultant, explained that the digital copy of the register has been meticulously organized by Ghana’s 16 regions and their constituencies. He noted that the manual verification list accommodates individuals with valid voter ID cards who may have been missed due to data capture errors. Dr. Adjei also highlighted the structured PDF format for easy tracking, with regions and police departments listed alphabetically, and special registers prepared for constituencies with unique voting requirements.
By Madjid Diallo || ghananewsonline.com.gh