Commentary on the exhibition of the provisional voters register

BY DR. GABRIEL DEI YEBOAH, BONO EAST REGIONAL DIRECTOR, ELECTORAL COMMISSION.

As part of preparation for the 2024 General Elections, the Electoral Commission undertook a 23-day Limited Voters’ Registration exercise, with a 3-day mop-up at the District Offices of the Electoral Commission and some specific areas across the country. As a sequel to this and in accordance with regulation 23(1) of the Constitutional Instrument (CI) 91, the law that governs registration of voters in the country, the Provisional Voters’ Register is being exhibited. The exercise, which started Monday, 20th August, is expected to end on the 27th of August, 2024, between the hours of 7.00am to 6.00pm, including weekends at all polling stations in the country.

The importance of this exercise cannot be overemphasised. However, experience from the past indicates that this is one exercise in the electoral process which is always poorly patronized. The Electoral commission, being a human organisation, cannot claim infallibility. Officials are not above mistakes, and the devices they work with could also develop faults. It is in recognition of these that this exercise is going to be undertaken. The basic purpose of this exercise is to give prospective voters the opportunity to verify their particulars in the register so that those with errors in their particulars will have them corrected. In the same way, those whose particulars will be completely missing from the voters’ roll will be included.

One important aspect of this exercise is that it is the only period in the electoral process where unqualified names on the register can be removed. In other words, it is time for the cleaning of the voters’ register. In view of this, all those who think some people are not supposed to be on the voters register like minors and foreigners, have the opportunity to forward and file objections against them. Again, anyone who has lost a relative between the time the register was compiled and now could act out of patriotism by reporting and having their particulars removed from the voters register. Incidentally, exhibition Centers are almost always designated as polling stations in the impending elections. This means that voters who come to check their particulars get to know where they will vote before the voting day.

This is very important, especially for those who just registered in the recent limited registration exercise, which took place at the District Offices of the Electoral Commission and a few other places. They should take advantage of this exercise to know the geographical area where they will vote come 7th December, 2024. This helps in avoiding the situation where some people will move from one voting centre to the other in the effort to locate their polling stations on the voting day.

Leveraging technology, a platform has been created to enable voters to check their details electronically through the Short CODE *711*51# on all networks. From every indication, it is the wish of every well-meaning Ghanaian to have a clean voters register in place before every election. However, to do so, we all have the collective responsibility to ensure this happens. Let us all play our respective roles and be patriotic citizens, so that, at the end of the day, we can have a good voters roll for the 7th December elections.

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