The Electoral Commission (EC) has recently unveiled a set of crucial measures aimed at maintaining transparency and guaranteeing the integrity of the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections. These measures were unveiled during an Inter-party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting that took place on Friday, 29 November 2024.
Collation and Accreditation
One of the key announcements made by the EC is the appointment of collation officers for all 276 constituencies and 16 regions. These officers have been selected to support Returning Officers and regional collation officers in their respective roles. The recruitment process for these positions involved advertising in the Daily Graphic on 15 August 2024, with a focus on candidates with backgrounds in statistics, accounting, and related fields. Interviews were conducted by a panel comprising officials from the EC and the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).
The primary responsibility of these collation officers is to conduct electronic collation of polling station results for both the presidential and parliamentary elections using a template provided by the Commission. This electronic collation will work in parallel with the manual collation performed by Returning Officers to ensure accuracy and verification of results.
Furthermore, regional collation will take place at EC regional offices, while national collation will be centralized in Accra. Political parties and presidential candidates will be accredited to have two agents present at both constituency and regional collation centers. Additionally, domestic and international observers, as well as members of the media, will also receive accreditation to monitor the collation process. Discussions are currently underway with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) regarding media representation. At the national collation center, parties will be permitted to have four agents, with a maximum of two agents present at any given time.
Ballot Shortfalls and Discrepancies
In response to concerns raised about ballot paper shortages in the Volta and Bono regions, the EC clarified that these discrepancies were identified by regional staff during routine verification processes. The EC emphasized that transparency is a top priority, and the discovery of these issues is part of standard operating procedures.
Similar ballot shortages were also identified in the Greater Accra, Western North, Upper West, Western, and Bono East regions, with political parties promptly notified of the situation. The EC reassured the public that these actions are part of its commitment to accountability and transparency in the electoral process.
Overall, the measures outlined by the Electoral Commission are designed to ensure that the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections are conducted in a free, fair, and credible manner. By implementing stringent collation and accreditation processes, as well as addressing any discrepancies in a transparent manner, the EC is taking proactive steps to uphold the integrity of the electoral process.
