The Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) has officially declared its readiness for the special voting exercise set to take place on Monday, 2nd December 2024. Chairperson Jean Mensa assured the public that the Commission has taken all necessary steps to ensure a smooth and efficient process.
During a meeting with the National Election Security Taskforce (NESTF) on Tuesday, 26th November, Mrs. Mensa emphasized that the Commission has completed various preparations for the upcoming election, including the distribution of the Voters’ Register nationwide.
Mrs. Mensa disclosed that the distribution of presidential and parliamentary ballot papers across the country would be finalized by 26th November. She stated, “We are also near completion with our ballots, the preparation of our ballots for the presidential and parliamentary elections, and all the ballots, with the exception of the Northern Region, the Bono Region, and the Bono East Region, have been disseminated to our police armories across the country. I’m well aware that the ballot papers for the Northern Region, the Bono Region, and Bono East Region will be disseminated to the police armories.”
Additionally, she mentioned that the distribution of biometric verification devices would be completed by the weekend, saying, “We are confident that by this weekend all the biometric verification devices will be safely lodged in the police armories across the country. The biometric verification devices have been sent to over eight regional armories and they are in safekeeping.”
The EC Chair also revealed that the Commission had hired approximately 210,000 temporary officials, including returning officers, deputy returning officers, presiding officers, and polling assistants, to oversee the operations at over 40,900 polling stations nationwide.
“We are confident that we’ll have a successful special voting arrangement on Monday, 2nd December. Our officials are in readiness. We have an adequate supply of the ballot papers, indelible ink, and the biometric verification devices are also in place to ensure a smooth and seamless special voting exercise come Monday, 2nd December 2024,” Mrs. Mensa assured.
In his address at the meeting, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and Chairman of the National Election Security Taskforce (NESTF), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, reiterated the commitment of all security agencies to safeguard all citizens and stakeholders during the electoral process.
The EC’s thorough preparations and coordination with the security agencies demonstrate their dedication to conducting a successful special voting exercise and ensuring a peaceful and transparent election process in Ghana.
