Politics and Elections

Election 2024: How to cast a valid vote in Ghana

Ghanaians will be voting in the Election 2024 on December 7th, but the question is, “How do you cast a valid vote in Ghana as an existing or first-time voter?”Each election year, a large number of votes go to waste due to citizens’ inadequate education on how to vote.

If we use the same last-minute approach to teaching and educating people on voting, the number of invalid votes will likely increase with the addition of new first-time voters.

In this post on Elections-in-Ghana, the news portal will carefully share with readers the step-by-step guide on how to cast a valid vote to avoid wasting their democratic right to be part of the decision-making in terms of voting for a president and a parliamentarian.

How are leaders chosen in Ghana?

Voting democratically elects leaders such as the president and members of parliament in Ghana. Each presidential and parliamentary candidate has their pictures, names, and pictures arranged horizontally on transparent ballot boxes and ballot sheets. This means that for each candidate, his or her details are placed on the same line or level from left to right, followed by an empty box on the extreme right, in which the voter is to apply a spot of ink with his or her thump to indicate his or her choice.

How to cast a valid vote in Ghana during Election 2024

Do you know how to vote on election day? Here is a step-by-step guide on what to do at the polling station.

On election day, go to the polling station with your voter ID card and join the queue, if any. Please don’t jump the queue.
A polling assistant will check your particulars in the name reference list.
A verification officer will verify your identity as a registered voter with the verification machine.
You will be issued a presidential ballot paper. Please check to see if there are no marks on it. Also, ensure it has a validating stamp. A validation stamp is to be applied to the back of the ballot paper. If your ballot paper lacks a stamp, the counting process will reject it. Inform the officers to change the ballot if it contains any ink other than the validation ink, as this, will also render your vote invalid or rejected.
Make your way to the voting booth and thumbprint (correctly) your choice of candidate. Correctly thumping printing means placing your thumb in the ink and thumb-printing inside the white-empty box, which is beside the picture of the one you want to vote for.
Hold the ballot paper with the hand you did not use to apply the ink, and then carefully clean the rest of the ink on your thumb with the tissue provided or rub your finger thoroughly in your hair to ensure the ink is clean and dry.
This is how to fold the ballot paper. The ballot paper has both long and short ends. Fold in such a way that the thumbprint box you voted in faces the picture of the candidate you voted for. After that, fold a gain in the middle of the first fold.
Cast your vote in the presidential ballot box. Please make sure it is in the right box.
Proceed to the next polling assistant for a parliamentary ballot paper.
Proceed to the parliamentary voting booth and thumbprint (correctly) your preferred MP.
Cast your vote in the parliamentary ballot box. Please make sure it is in the correct box.
Please leave the polling station after voting. You can return at 5 p.m. to count.