An intriguing incident unfolded at the Methodist Church polling station in the Ga-North constituency of the Greater Accra Region during the district-level elections.
Despite being identical twins, a voter was denied the right to vote as the biometric system identified her as having already voted, even though her twin sister had successfully gone through the identification process earlier.
The Presiding Officer at the polling station characterized this as an unprecedented occurrence, suggesting it could be an attempt at double voting or a minor system glitch.
Residents, who were familiar with the twin sisters, expressed surprise at the system’s failure to distinguish between them.
One concerned resident raised questions about the potential challenges posed by such incidents, pondering if similar situations would arise with numerous sets of twins.
Stressing the need for the Electoral Commission to address this minor challenge, the resident noted that the twin who was denied voting refrained from complaining due to the nature of the district-level election.
The Electoral Commission’s decision to eliminate the use of indelible ink in this election and subsequent polls came under scrutiny following the incident. Traditionally, indelible ink is applied to voters’ fingerprints to prevent double voting and indicate those who have exercised their franchise.
The Commission’s rationale, as explained by EC chair Jean Mensa, was centered on the robust identification system provided by biometric technology, making it difficult for a verified voter to cast a second vote.