Why the 2024 election cannot be rigged – Jean Mensa explains

Jean Mensa, the chairperson of the Electoral Commission, has assured parliament today that the 2024 December General Elections cannot be rigged.

While addressing the Parliament of Ghana on Electoral Commission’s preparation towards the general elections happening on 7th December, Jean Mensa explained that nobody, not even herself, can interfere with the outcome of the election.

This is because of strong systems put in place to ensure transparency and efficiency in the elections.

She explained that the political parties, at every step of the way from polling stations, district collation centres, regional collation centres, to the national collation centre, would have agents who would verify and attest to every result.

“I would like to start by assuring you that the commission is poised and ready to deliver free, fair, credible, transparent elections that reflect the will of the people. I can assure you that the commission will not, and this is a message we are sending to the least person in the field, that our duty is to ensure that the elections are fair, the elections are credible, the elections are transparent and open for all to see that at the end of the day, the winner is declared.

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“And I would like to find out if you are aware of any loopholes in this system, because we know how the system works. We know that the system starts from the ground and it starts at the polling station. The ballots are opened up for everybody to see. We have our party agents who are present. At the end of the day, the counting is done in the full glare of the public. This is recorded, and it is recorded on the pink sheets,” she explained.

She added, “Party agents have, you know, the opportunity in law, to request a recount, if twice, one at the polling station and one at the constituency collation centre. And if they have issues, these things are resolved before the forms are filled and they append their signature to it, where the agent feels that he or she will not append his signature for certain reasons, they state so.”

The EC boss went on to explain how the election results at the polling station will be transmitted to the national collation centre.

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“I would like to assure you that whatever comes from the ground, and it goes from the polling stations, where all the agents of the parties are, to the constituency collation centres, where the agents of the parties are, and this tabulation is done in their presence.

“And then from there, it goes to the regional collation centres, where the agents of the parties are. Then it comes to the national and it doesn’t come. It’s not transmitted, it’s hard copies of documents that are coming. So, it’s pink sheets that are scanned, that are sent by fax and email that come through. And we believe that by that time, the party should have copies of all these on their phones to enable you to verify. So, when you come to the national and a document, a pink sheet, is coming in from the region, your agent at the national collation centre should be able to look at it and say, this is what we signed on to.”

Jean Mensa added that the results which have been transmitted to the national collation centre cannot be altered by anybody.

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“So, I would like to assure you there is absolutely, absolutely no way that at the helm of affairs, the commission can change anything because the documentation comes from the ground and we believe that you have copies.”

She urged political parties to ensure that the persons they assign as agents at the various centres have the needed capacity to ensure that all is done well.

“From the registration to the declaration, our processes are embedded with one key ingredient, and that is transparency, transparency, transparency. As such we will continue to operate in the spirit of transparency, fairness and integrity as embedded in our motto,” she assured.

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