Limited voter registration: We don’t anticipate any challenges – EC

The Electoral Commission (EC) says it is not anticipating any challenges in its decision to undertake the upcoming limited voter registration exercise at its district offices across the country.

The Commission said it appreciated the concerns about the accessibility of its offices in some remote communities, but it cannot vary its plans due to time constraints.

The EC has scheduled the registration of new voters onto the electoral roll to commence on September 12, 2023, to October 2, 2023, at its 268 District offices across the country.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Dr Bossman Eric Asare, the Deputy Chair-in-charge of Corporate Services at the EC, said persons who may not be able to register would be offered another opportunity to do so after the District Assembly Elections.

“Currently because of the time, we cannot revise what we have. We recognise the challenges. We know there are some places in Nkwanta South, Afram Plains and in almost all the regions of our country, some of the places are so far away from the districts.

“In the unlikely event that people are not able to register, we will still be able to do it again after the District Assembly Elections,” he said.

Dr Asare said the EC’s proposed Constitutional Instrument, with which it intends to make the Ghana Card the sole identification document for registration, would make it possible for new voters to be enrolled onto the electoral roll for an extended period.

Some political parties, including the National Democratic Congress, have raised concerns about the EC’s decision to hold the limited voter registration exercise at its district offices and not within electoral areas, as it was done in previous exercises.

The parties expressed fear that new voters in remote communities, who may not be able to access the district offices, could be disenfranchised.

The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has also appealed to the EC to reconsider its decision to hold the registration only at its district offices.

Mr Samuel Asare Akuamoah, a Deputy Chair in Charge of Operations at the NCCE, who made the appeal, said the decision could demotivate new voters and result in low turnout.

Dr Asare told the GNA that the EC recognised the concerns raised but could not vary its decision under the current circumstances.

“We are very much ready for Tuesday. Training of personnel is being finalised. Some of the materials are gone but there are still some more to go.

“We don’t anticipate any challenges and as far as we are concerned everything is set and on Tuesday, the exercise will begin in all the 268 registration centres,” he said.

Source: citinewsroom