EC Opened Registration For Proxy and Special Voting

The Electoral Commission (EC) has officially opened registration and accepting applications for special voting for eligible institutions and individuals. The special voting is scheduled for Monday, December 2, 2024.

The deadline for qualified individuals with valid reasons to request special voting rights is July 1. It’s important to note that special voting rights will not be granted automatically, so eligible individuals must apply for consideration.

The event will occur nationwide in all 276 electoral districts, where every eligible voter is anticipated to vote in their respective district as indicated on their Voter ID card.

Regulation 3(1) of Constitutional Instrument (CI) 127 protects the special voting process. This regulation allows eligible voters to apply to the returning officer of their constituency to be entered as a special voter if they are unable to be present at their registered polling station on election day due to election duties.

EC opened registration for those eligible for special voter status including the military, police, Immigration Service, Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Prisons Service, Fire Service, polling officers, permanent staff of the EC, and media personnel.

Special voting applicants must be registered voters in the constituencies in which they wish to vote. If granted special voting rights, their names will be taken off the regular voting list for the December 7 elections.

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EC Chairperson Jean Mensa stated that the goal is to avoid double voting, highlighting that the commission has implemented strict measures to safeguard the integrity of the special voting procedure.

Mrs Mensa said the district police headquarters were designated as special voting centres in each constituency. She said where the number of voters allocated to a special voting centre exceeded the 750 thresholds set by the EC, “another voting centre is designated as a special voting centre to facilitate the voting process within the same centre”.

She said to ensure a seamless application and voting process for all applicants of Special Voting, all applicants should apply directly to the Returning Officer of the constituency where the applicant was a registered voter.

EC  Re-Opened Voters Register For Transfers, Proxy And Special Voting Applications From July 3 To 5

The Electoral Commission (EC) has opened the voter’s register from Wednesday, July 3 to Friday, July 5, 2024, to facilitate voter transfers for individuals who missed the initial application window.

This decision was reached during an Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting held on Monday, July 1, 2024.

The focus will primarily be on prison inmates, security personnel, and students.

Additionally, the EC will allow applications for special voting and proxy voting during the same period.

Dr. Bossman Asare, the Deputy Chairman responsible for Corporate Services, provided details to Samuel Duodu of Graphic Online following the IPAC meeting on Monday.

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To apply for special voting, Mrs Mensa mentioned that individuals need to have a letter from their workplace confirming their employment status. For those applying as a group, institutions can provide a list of their officers to the Returning Officer. This list should include the names of each applicant, their Voter ID number, and the Polling Station Code from their Voter ID Card. These details will help verify their voter registration in the constituency.

All applicants are required to submit their applications in person to the Returning Officer,” stressed the EC Chairperson. She also urged those who have lost their Voter ID cards to obtain replacements during the process to provide accurate information for their applications.