3 Proposals put forward by the Electoral Commission ahead of Election 2024

2024 is the year of elections worldwide as some of the world’s biggest and respected democracies will be heading to the polls to elect new leaders. Ghana is one of those countries and as expected, the election management body, the Electoral Commission of Ghana is preparing towards December 7, 2024.

As part of preparations, the EC has put forward 3 “controversial” proposals which it claims will make the electoral process more transparent and credible. The proposals are already raising eyebrows among the country’s two major political parties: the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC). They include showcasing the election result sheets on an online portal, closing polls by 3pm instead of 5 pm, and opening new polling stations.

Publishing of Result Summary Sheets Online

The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mrs. Jean Mensa, has announced the EC’s plans to enhance transparency in next year’s general election by showcasing results from all polling stations on a dedicated online portal. The EC made the announcement during a stakeholder meeting organized by the National Peace Council. The objective of the EC is to publish scanned signed pink sheets on the portal, thereby providing real-time access to the public.

“This time around, we plan to display the scanned signed pink sheets on a dedicated portal. We are confident that this arrangement will promote transparency and engender further trust and confidence in our electoral processes,” she said.

The EC is also considering an all-year-round exhibition exercise where citizens can check their registration details on mobile devices.

Creating new polling stations

The Electoral Commission of Ghana says it is working to create more polling stations in order to reduce long queues at polling centers in the upcoming 2024 election. The EC announced this at the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) forum in Accra on Thursday, adding that the number of voters per polling station will be limited to 500.

“In 2020, 70 percent of our polling centers had a voter threshold of 500 and below. This time we intend to ensure that all our polling station centers have a threshold of 500 voters and below. In the same vein, we will increase the number of our polling stations nationwide.

“We believe that this will go a long way to reduce the long queues that characterize our elections and allow for a smooth, seamless, hassle-free voting process. In 2020, it took voters not more than five minutes to cast their votes due to the introduction of this policy. Based on our 2020 experience and also feedback from several observer groups, we propose to close the polls at 3:00 pm,” explained Mrs. Mensa.

Closing Polls at 3pm

The Electoral Commission (EC) has justified its proposal to shift the closing time of voting from 5:00 pm to 3:00 pm for the 2024 general elections.

The Chairperson of the EC, Mrs. Jean Mensa mentioned that the adjustment is aimed at promoting transparent and orderly vote collation during daytime. Mrs. Mensa explained that the change is as a result of the experiences of the 2020 elections, where 70 percent of voting centers experienced minimal activity by 1:00 pm.

According to the EC, the adjustment will reduce long queues and ensure a smooth voting process by setting a 500-voter threshold for each polling station and increasing the number of polling stations nationwide. She emphasized that closing the polls at 3:00 pm would allow for efficient counting and collating, fostering the transparency and orderliness sought by the Electoral Commission.

How are the politicians reacting to the proposals?

The Electoral Commission's (EC) proposal to close the 2024 elections at 3 pm has sparked skepticism from Ghana's two major political parties, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). Though the EC Chairperson Jean Mensa gave justifications that the change will enhance a transparent collation of votes, NPP's Communications Director, Richard Ahiagbah urged the EC to ensure the proposed change doesn't deprive citizens of their rights to vote.

On the other hand, Mustapha Gbande, the NDC's Deputy General Secretary, cautioned against any efforts by the electoral commission to manipulate the 2024 election. He stressed the need for a credible and transparent general election, emphasizing the NDC’s commitment to resist any attempts at rigging. Mr. Gbande was however quick to add that it's too early for his party to provide definitive commentary on the EC's stance.