Dec. 7 polls: EC invites media to observe ballot printing for transparency

The Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana has taken a significant step to reinforce transparency by allowing journalists to observe its ballot printing process at three key facilities.

The ballot printing facilities include Inolink Printing Limited, Buck Press, and Acts Commercial, as Ghana gears up for the December 7 general elections

The EC’s Director of Electoral Services, Dr. Benjamin Bannor-Bio, emphasised that the move aims to boost public confidence and demonstrate the EC’s commitment to an open and secure electoral process.

According to Dr. Bannor-Bio, only parliamentary ballots are currently being printed, as the production of presidential ballots has been temporarily delayed for 10 days following the passing of Akua Donkor, the Ghana Freedom Party’s flagbearer.

“When we say transparency and accountability are in motion, we don’t just say it but we mean it,” Dr. Bannor-Bio affirmed.

He continued that: “The Electoral Commission of Ghana is one of the few election management institutions in the sub-region that prints ballot papers in the country,” noting Buck Press’s role in printing ballots for the Ashanti, Oti, Savannah, and Central regions.

Political party representatives are present at every stage of the printing process, verifying details such as serial numbers and constituency-specific quantities.

Dr. Bannor-Bio explained, “We are here to let you know that printing ballots is not done in secrecy. We open up to the public for you to know that we are doing it together with the political party agents,” he stated, stressing that agents are actively observing to “ensure that the right thing is done.”

The party agents also place their own seals on ballot batches, maintaining their own records alongside those of the EC.

“Apart from the electoral commission seal, they add their seal and take records of the same. So, in printing ballot papers, there is no secrecy; it’s so transparent,” he added.

Source:classfmonline.com