The Electoral Commission (EC) has commenced early voting for select groups of individuals across 14 regions in Ghana as part of preparations for the December 7 general elections.
This special arrangement, known as Special Voting, is tailored for individuals who will perform essential duties on election day, allowing them to fulfill their civic responsibility without disrupting their official roles. The beneficiaries include election officials, security personnel, and media practitioners who will be engaged in the electoral process.
The EC has disclosed that 131,478 eligible voters, representing 0.007% of the total registered electorate of 18,741,159, are expected to cast their votes today, December 2.
Regions Excluded Due to Ballot Issues
Special Voting is being conducted in 14 out of the 16 regions, with the Eastern and Western Regions excluded due to a breach of security seals on ballot papers. The EC has ordered the recall and reprinting of the affected ballots, and voting in these regions has been rescheduled for Thursday, December 5.
During an Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting, EC Chairperson Jean Mensa assured stakeholders of the commission’s commitment to transparency, efficiency, and fairness in the electoral process. She reiterated the EC’s resolve to address any emerging concerns to maintain public confidence in the elections.
Voting Process and Ballot Security
The Special Voting exercise, which runs from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., requires participants to present valid identification at designated polling stations.
Unlike the general election day process, ballots cast during Special Voting will not be counted immediately. Instead, they will be securely stored and tallied on December 7 at the Constituency Collation Centres. The results will then be recorded separately for both presidential and parliamentary elections before being integrated into the final election outcomes.
This exercise marks a crucial milestone in ensuring a seamless and credible electoral process for the nation.
