The Electoral Commission (EC) has asserted that extending the deadline for the ongoing limited voter registration exercise is “not feasible.”
Despite initial technical challenges during the first two days, the EC reports that the registration process has since proceeded smoothly across the country.
The voter registration exercise, which began on May 7, 2024, is scheduled to conclude on May 27, 2024.
During a press conference in Accra on Tuesday, Samuel Tettey, Deputy EC Chair in Charge of Operations, affirmed that the 21-day period allocated for the exercise is sufficient.
He noted that while there were large queues at some registration centers during the first week, the number of applicants has decreased significantly as the deadline approaches.
Mr. Tettey also mentioned that mobile teams have been dispatched to hard-to-reach areas to facilitate registration for those unable to access district centers.
“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.
“The total number of challenged cases across the country stands at 7,821,” he added.
As of the 13th day of the exercise, on Sunday, May 19, 2024, data from the EC showed that 522,025 new voters had been registered. Of these, 446,416 (85.52%) are first-time voters aged 18-21.
Among the registered voters, 246,455 (47.21%) are males, and 275,570 (52.79%) are females.
The EC aims to register a total of 623,000 voters by the end of the exercise.
Mr. Tettey also reported that 813 individuals with disabilities had been registered nationwide.
Regional breakdown of registrations includes:
- Greater Accra: 74,420 voters (14.3%)
- North East: 14,147 (2.7%)
- Upper East: 20,125 (3.9%)
- Northern: 47,948 (9.2%)
- Bono: 20,886 (4.0%)
- Bono East: 18,861 (3.6%)
- Volta: 26,486 (5.1%)
- Upper West: 15,652 (3.0%)
- Eastern: 48,563 (9.3%)
- Central: 56,141 (10.8%)
- Ahafo: 10,861 (2.1%)
- Ashanti: 90,480 (17.3%)
- Western North: 16,225 (3.1%)
- Oti: 14,844 (2.8%)
- Savannah: 12,767 (2.4%)
- Western: 33,609 (6.4%)
The EC has dismissed allegations from Election Watch Ghana claiming the use of “stolen” Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits for secret voter registrations. Mr. Tettey clarified that only five laptops were stolen from the Commission, not BVR kits.