Extending Voter registration exercise not feasible – EC

The Electoral Commission has revealed that extending the deadline for the ongoing voter registration exercise across the country is ‘not feasible.’

The Commission stated that, notwithstanding the technical difficulties faced during the first two days of the voter registration exercise, the process has since run smoothly across the country without any hindrances.

The Commission began registering new voters on May 7, 2024, and the activity is slated to end on May 27, 2024.

Mr Samuel Tettey, Deputy EC Chair in Charge of Operations, told a press conference in Accra on Tuesday that the 21-day period set up for the process was sufficient.

He stated that, in contrast to the first week of the voter registration operation, when enormous waits were observed in certain registration locations, the numbers had decreased in many registration centres with a week remaining until the registration exercise will be closed.

Mr Tettey stated that the Commission’s mobile teams had also been sent to hard-to-reach locations to assist applicants who were unable to visit the district registration facilities.

“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 data released by the EC, as of the closing of voter registration on the 13th day of the exercise on Sunday, May 19, 2024, a total of 522,025 new voters had been registered, with 446,416 (85.52) being first-time voters aged 18 to 21. Males account for 47.21 percent of registered voters (246,455), while females account for 52.79 percent (275,570).

Males account for 47.21 percent of registered voters (246,455), while females account for 52.79 percent (275,570).

The EC planned to register 623,000 voters by the end of the process.

Mr Tettey stated that a total of 813 people with disabilities had been registered nationwide.

“The total number of challenged cases across the country stands at 7,821,” he added.

Regional breakdown of voter registration

The Greater Accra region has registered 74,420 voters (14.3 percent); North East, 14,147 (2.7 percent); Upper East, 20,125 (3.9 percent); Northern, 47, 948 (9.2 percent); Bono, 20,886 (4.0 percent); Bono East, 18,861 (3.6 percent); Volta, 26, 486 (5.1 percent); Upper West, 15, 652 (3.0 percent); Eastern, 48,563 (9.3 percent); Central, 56, 141 (10.8 percent); and Ahafo, 10, 861 (2.1%).

The remaining registrants are Ashanti (90,480, 17.3%), Western North (16,225, 3.1%), Oti (14,844, 2.8%), Savannah (12,767), and Western Region (33,609, 6.4%).

The Commission advised the public to dismiss assertions made by an organization named Election Watch Ghana that the EC was using “stolen” Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits “to register voters secretly.”

Mr Tettey dismissed the charges as frivolous and unfounded, pointing out that five computers, not BVR kits, were stolen from the Commission.

“The five missing laptops on their own cannot be used for voter registration,” he said.