By Following the exhibition of the provisional voters’ register, various comments have emerged from different sectors of society.
While some reflect genuine concerns, others lack basis and appear intended to undermine the credibility of the Electoral Commission.
As a Commission, we consider it our responsibility to provide the public with accurate information.
On Monday, August 26, the Commission received a report from our Northern Regional Directorate indicating that voters from two polling stations in the Tamale South Constituency and one polling station in the Sagnerigu Constituency had been transferred to the Pusiga Constituency in the Upper East Region without their knowledge or consent.
The Commission wishes to inform the public that it has completed preliminary investigations into these alleged unauthorized voter transfers. We would like to provide the following update on the matter:
Regulation 22, Sub-Regulation 1 of Constitutional Instrument (C.I.) 127 provides that, “A registered voter who before an election is resident for not less than twelve months in a constituency other than that in which the registered voter is registered, may apply to the returning officer of the constituency where the registered voter is resident for the name of the registered voter to be entered on the transferred voters list of a polling station in that constituency.”
According to the law, a registered voter must be physically present to request a transfer of their vote to another polling station. This transfer can only be processed at the District Offices and requires the voter’s presence for verification via either facial recognition or fingerprints.
In the incidents involving the Tamale South and Sagnerigu Constituencies, the voters have denied participating in any transfer exercise. They have claimed that their voter ID cards were collected by one Haruna Muniru, supposedly for the purpose of processing a loan. Haruna Muniru was in police custody last week and is now out on bail, with investigations ongoing.
Preliminary investigations by the Commission have revealed that voter transfers were indeed carried out for thirty-eight (38) individuals using the credentials of an Electoral Commission official. These transfers are recorded in the Voter Management System’s (VMS) audit logs. The verification process during these transfers involved using photos from the voters’ ID cards for facial recognition.
In response to this incident, the Commission has implemented a ‘liveliness check’ in the verification process. This feature is designed to ensure that the biometric data being captured is from a live, present person rather than a spoofed source, such as a photograph, which was exploited in this case. The ‘liveliness check’ has now been integrated into the system to prevent similar issues in the future.
The Commission is currently conducting an investigation. Although there is no evidence to suggest that this issue is widespread, we are examining whether similar incidents have occurred beyond the reported cases in the Tamale South and Sagnerigu Constituencies. Any such unauthorized transfers will be reversed, and those responsible will face legal consequences.
Following preliminary investigations, the Commission has suspended the Pusiga District Electoral Officer and has requested his response to the findings. Once the investigation is complete, the Commission will take appropriate action and inform the public accordingly.
The Commission assures the public that it will not shield any of its officers, whether permanent or temporary, who are found to be involved in electoral malpractices. Such individuals will face the full consequences of the law.
We would like to emphasize that the Provisional Voters Register is not the Final Voters Register. The primary goal of the Exhibition Exercise is to address and correct any anomalies in the Provisional Register before the Final Register is finalized. This process has been standard practice since 1992.
The Commission guarantees that, following the Exhibition Exercise, the Final Voters Register produced will be both robust and credible.
The Provisional Voters Register prepared for the recent Exhibition Exercise, which was also provided to all political parties, includes a Transferred Voters List and an Absent Voters List for each polling station. The Absent Voters List should contain names of all voters who have been transferred out of a particular polling station during the period when the Electoral Commission allowed transfers and special voting.
The Absent Voters List should include only those voters who have transferred their votes or participated in special voting, while the Transferred Voters List should include all voters who have been transferred to the polling station during that period.
However, in preparation for the 2024 Exhibition Exercise, the Absent Voters List and the Transferred Voters List mistakenly included all transfers made since 2020, when this Register was first prepared. This error has led to an unexpectedly high number of Absent and Transferred Voters.
This situation may have understandably caused concern among our stakeholders, as evidenced by the press conference held by the NDC in the Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam Constituency of the Central Region. The Commission has addressed this issue and will provide all political parties with a corrected Absent and Transferred Voters List for each polling station, reflecting only those who have successfully applied for transfers or special voting for the 2024 General Elections.
It is important to clarify that claims suggesting the Commission has added names to the Voters Register to benefit a specific party are baseless and should be dismissed. The EC has no intention of manipulating the register to give any political party an unfair advantage.
As previously explained, the error occurred because cumulative transfer data from 2020, 2023, and 2024 were mistakenly included in the registers provided to political parties. This error has been corrected, and the revised register will be shared with the parties once all adjustments have been made.
Ghana is widely recognized for having one of the most transparent and inclusive electoral processes in Africa. From voter registration to the declaration of results, our procedures are clear, inclusive, and open to political parties and the public. There are no hidden aspects; any interested party or citizen can easily access relevant information about every facet of the electoral process.
Therefore, the notion that the peace and outcome of the election depend solely on the Chairperson of the EC is unfounded. We urge the public to disregard statements, even from prominent figures, suggesting that the Chairperson alone holds the key to achieving peaceful elections in 2024.
The Commission has nothing to conceal. The Provisional Voters Register is a public document, available online for voters to check their details. It is not a secret document. Ultimately, the Final Register will be provided to all political parties in accordance with the law and established practice.
The preparation of the Voters Register is a complex human endeavor, and mistakes are inevitable. This is not the first time the Commission has encountered errors during voter registration and the compilation of the Voters Register; such issues have occurred since 1992. These errors have included missing names, incorrect photos or gender, and errors in additions or omissions.
The purpose of the Provisional Voters Register Exhibition, as stipulated by law, is to address and correct these mistakes. The law allows for the inclusion of missing names, removal of names that should not be on the register after due process, and correction of gender and polling station placements. This is precisely what the Commission is doing, in accordance with its legal mandate.
Since 2020, the Commission has undertaken rigorous efforts to refine the Voters Register using a comprehensive four-pronged approach: involving District Electoral Officers, Exhibition Officers, voters who verify their details at Exhibition Centers, and IT Staff. This systematic approach, introduced after 2020, has significantly enhanced the credibility of the Register, ensuring it accurately reflects eligible voters and includes no qualified individuals.
The public may recall that similar negative propaganda was circulated about the Register during the 2020 Exhibition. The Commission addressed the issues raised during that period to clean and improve the Register, resulting in no complaints about its accuracy during or after the 2020 Elections. Ultimately, the 2020 Elections were highly regarded by both citizens and local and international observers.
We urge the public to disregard claims that the voter register is unfit for the 2024 elections or incurably defective. The register is robust and credible, and the final certified register will incorporate corrections for all identified errors.
It is crucial to understand that making a document publicly accessible is not consistent with any intention to include unauthorized individuals. Political parties have access to copies of the 2020 register, the 2023 register, and records of daily registration reports from the 2024 Limited Voters Registration and Mop-Up Registration Exercises. This transparent and inclusive process is open to all, not just the Electoral Commission. Therefore, allegations of data manipulation should be dismissed unless substantiated with proof.
The Commission reassures the Public and its stakeholders that the anomalies detected through the Exhibition Exercise and their correction do not in any way affect the validity of the Voters Register and the ability of valid voters to vote on Election Day.
As a Commission we continue to demonstrate and reflect the values of transparency, integrity and fairness in all our operations. We are fully mindful that the Voters Register is the bedrock and foundation of an Election.
We are well aware that a credible Voters Register is sine qua non for a transparent, peaceful and fair election. The Commission is committed to conducting and delivering free, fair, transparent, peaceful, credible, and inclusive Elections in December 2024. We entreat the General Public to support the Commission for successful General Elections in 2024.
We thank you for your attention.
Electoral Commission: Transparency and Accountability in Motion
Thank you.
