The Electoral Commission’s Deputy Chairman for Corporate Services emphasized that safeguarding the credibility of Ghana’s elections is more important than the expense of reprinting ballot papers.
Dr. Bossman Asare, during an interview on Joy News’ PM Express on November 19, clarified that the EC opted to reprint ballots for the Volta and Ahafo regions because of irregularities in the serial numbers.
He characterized the move as essential to upholding public confidence in the electoral process.
“The Commission didn’t think so much in terms of the cost as to the quality of the country’s elections,” he stated.
He noted that the discrepancies could have compromised the integrity of the elections, which would have had far-reaching consequences.
“If you don’t get the serial numbers right, and someone votes for a candidate, there’s a risk that the ballot could be deemed rejected,” he explained.
Dr. Asare acknowledged that reprinting ballots for these regions could be costly, but reiterated that the Commission’s primary concern was ensuring that the elections were credible and transparent.
“We believe that the taxpayer will be more concerned about us having a system that is very peaceful, very credible, and very transparent,” he added.
To ensure accountability in the process, the EC will write to political parties, the Ghana Police Service, the National Intelligence Bureau, and the involved printing house to oversee the destruction of the erroneous ballot papers.
“When we finish burning them, we have what we call the destruction certificate, which all the parties are going to sign to confirm their presence during the destruction,” Dr Asare explained.
The EC decided to involve additional printing houses for the affected ballots, a move Dr Asare described as essential to maintaining the credibility of the elections.
“We have a strong reputation to protect,” he stated. “For us, ensuring the integrity of the process so that all the political parties are happy is more important than the cost argument.”
He also stressed that the EC values inclusivity in its operations.
“It will interest you to know that when we met with the parties and informed them of the issues, they tried to salvage it. But we still noticed some gaps, so we made the decision to ensure ballot integrity,” he said.
Dr. Asare reassured the public that the Commission would engage the printing house to discuss cost implications.
However, he emphasized that preserving the credibility of the elections was non-negotiable.
“Inaction on this issue would have been more devastating. Just imagine people saying there are problems with the ballot papers after voting—it would certainly not bode well for the Commission,” he noted.
The EC’s decision, he concluded, reflects its commitment to delivering elections that all stakeholders can trust.
“We believe that a credible system, where all players and stakeholders are satisfied, is what matters most,” he said.