The Electoral Commission (EC) will from today display the electoral voters’ register at the various polling stations in the 47 districts which will participate in the referendum for the creation of six new regions.
Scheduled to end on October 31, the exercise would enable eligible voters to check their details and correct errors in their personal details where necessary ahead of the referendum.
Addressing a press conference in Accra yesterday, Chairperson of the EC, Mrs. Jean Adukwei Mensa, said the exhibition of the register would safeguard the credibility of the voters’ register which was mostly a catalyst for controversy before and during elections in the country.
Persons with or without voters identification (ID) cards, she said would be allowed to check their details either in the 2018 provisional register or the 2016 voters’ register which would both be displayed.
During the exercise, which would also be held on Saturdays and Sundays, Mrs. Mensa stated that individuals could request for the inclusion of omitted names, removal of names of deceased and unqualified persons, the replacement of damaged voters ID cards, to correct any wrongly spelt name, correct any clerical errors including wrong registration centre codes, registration details such as age, sex among others.
She stressed that persons without ID cards would not be permitted to make changes in their personal details.
“Both the 2018 provisional register, which was compiled few weeks ago and the 2016 voters register will be placed at the exhibition centres for the prospective voters to verify their details as captured and make request for amendments or insertions where necessary,” the Chairperson stated.
Additionally, Mrs. Mensa said the exception or exclusion list and the multiple registration list would be displayed during the exercise, stating that “all prospective voters whose names, photos and other details appear on the exception or exclusion list or the multiple registration list will not have their names and photographs on the main list.”
Any qualified voted could object to the inclusion of the name of a person who was below the required age of 18, deceased, not a citizen of Ghana, not of sound mind and not a resident in the electoral area, she said.
Persons who have registered multiple times, impersonating someone else or had been convicted for electoral offences, the Chairperson said, could also be prevented from being included in the voters’ register.
“It is important to note that any person eligible to register as a voter may raise objection to names of unqualified persons on the voters register at any of the exhibition centres. These centres will be opened from 7am to 6pm each day of the exercise,” Mrs. Mensa added.
In order to ensure a smooth exercise, she said its officials in the various districts have been given the needed training and logistics for the exercise noting that enough sensitisation and consultations have been undertaken by the officials in their respective areas.
Ghana | Atinkaonline.com