Ghanaians react to EC’s latest Data with ‘ERROR’ on challenged applicants nationwide

The Electoral Commission of Ghana has revealed in tweet sighted by electionsinghana.com that some 11,818 persons representing 0.2% of total applications seeking to register for the new voters’ ID card have been challenged.

The summary of Challenged Applicants at the ongoing Voters Registration covers the first 16 days (Day 1-16).

The EC also provided the figure of challenged applicants on a region by region basis however, its pictorial representation of data seemed flawed per the information available.

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Instead of 16 sections/sectors of the pie chart to correspond with the 16 regions of the country, it has 17 sectors on the pie chart.

There is something wrong with this pictorial data provided. Taking a critical look at the pie chart,  one can tell it has red as the key for Greater Accra. There are however two red sections on the pie chart with each having a different percentage.

Ghanaians on twitter have started auditing the information and are asking which of the figures on the pie chart thus 15. 8% and 18.4% truly represents Greater Accra region?

Ghanaians have in the last few days also called for the EC to provide a region by region break down of registered voters. The EC is yet to respond to this. Ghanaians and political actors and all stakeholders would appreciate if the EC makes that information available at the end of each phase.

The constitution of Ghanan in article 42 chapter 7 gives every citizen who meets the basic requirements to vote the right to vote which requires that one obtains a voter’s ID. However, the act governing elections in Ghana, Part II gives others the right to challenge any applicant they deem not eligible to vote.

Below is all you need to know when it comes to Challenging an application for registration per Ghana’s electoral laws.

12. (1) A person appointed to register voters, a person authorized by the Commission to monitor the registration of voters or any person qualified to be registered as a voter may challenge a person applying to be registered as a voter on the ground that the applicant does not satisfy the requirements
provided in regulation 1 of this Instrument.

(2) Where a person’s application for registration is challenged but the applicant insists that he is qualified to be registered as a voter –
(a) the person making the challenge shall complete the challenge to registration form provided in the Schedule;

(b) the registration officer shall fill the registration form on behalf of the applicant but shall not issue the applicant a voter identification card;
(c) the registration officer shall send the completed registration form together with the completed challenge form to the District Registration Review Committee established under regulation 13 of this Instrument.
District Registration Review Committee.

13. (1) There shall be established in each district a District Registration Review Committee hereafter referred to as “the Committee”, which shall examine challenges related to the registration of voters in the district.
(2) A District Registration Review Committee shall consist of –

(a) a representative of each registered political party active in the district;
(b) the district officer of the Commission, who shall be the secretary to the Committee; and
(c) not more than four other persons as the commission may determine.
(3) The District Registration Review Committee shall appoint its own chairman from among its members and shall regulate the conduct of its procedures.

Challenged applicants may be issued their voters ID cards or made to complete the registration if it is found out that, they are Ghanaians and had met all requirements for the regsitration.

Source: Electionsinghana.com