The deadline for the current limited voter registration drive cannot be extended, according to the Electoral Commission (EC).
Notwithstanding the technological difficulties that arose during the exercise’s first two days, the Commission reported that everything went smoothly and without any problems after that.
New voter registration was opened by the Commission on May 7, 2024, and it is expected to end on May 27, 2024.
Mr. Samuel Tettey, Deputy EC Chair in Charge of Operations, stated during a press conference in Accra on Tuesday that the 21-day duration of the exercise was sufficient.
With one week remaining until the process’s scheduled end, he claimed that, in contrast to the first week of the registration exercise, when long lines were seen in certain registration centers, the numbers had decreased in many of them.
Mr. Tettey stated that in order to assist applicants who might not be able to visit the district registration centers, the Commission has also sent its mobile teams to difficult-to-reach locations.
“This is good enough to cover all difficult areas that the Commission earmarked,” he said.
“We don’t actually think that at this time it is even feasible for anyone to call for an extension,” Mr Tettey added.
According to information made public by the EC, as of Sunday, May 19, 2024, the thirteenth day of the election, 522,025 new voters had registered, of which 446,416 (85.52) were first-time voters between the ages of 18 and 21.
Out of the entire number, 275,570, or 52.79 percent of registered voters are female and 246,455, or 47.21 percent of male voters.
By the time the registration period ended, the EC aimed to have registered 623,000 voters overall.
According to Mr. Tettey, 813 people with disabilities have been registered nationwide.
“There are 7,821 challenged cases nationwide overall,” he continued.
Regional breakdown
The Greater Accra region has registered 74,420 voters (14.3 per cent); North East, 14,147 (2.7 per cent); Upper East, 20,125 (3.9 per cent); Northern, 47, 948 (9.2 per cent); Bono, 20,886 (4.0 per cent); Bono East, 18,861 (3.6 per cent); Volta, 26, 486 (5.1 per cent); Upper West, 15, 652 (3.0 per cent); Eastern, 48,563 (9.3 per cent); Central, 56, 141 (10.8 per cent), and Ahafo, 10, 861 (2.1 per cent).
The remaining registrations are Ashanti, 90,480 (17.3 per cent), Western North; 16, 225 (3.1 per cent); Oti; 14, 844 (2.8 per cent); Savannah 12, 767 (2.4 per cent); and Western Region, 33, 609 (6.4 per cent).
Election Watch Ghana claimed that the EC was utilizing “stolen” Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits. The Commission advised the public to reject this claim.
“to register voters secretly.”
Mr Tettey described the allegations as baseless and explained that five laptops were stolen from the Commission and not BVR kits.
“The five missing laptops on their own cannot be used to register voters,” he said.
