Special Voting currently underway in 14 regions

Special voting is taking place at selected polling stations across Ghana, ahead of the December 7 general elections.

The initiative enables individuals with important election day responsibilities to vote early, ensuring they are free to carry out their duties.

The Special Voting exercise is mainly intended for electoral officials, security personnel, and media representatives who will be directly engaged in the general election process.

The Electoral Commission (EC) has announced that approximately 131,478 individuals, or 0.007% of the total registered electorate of 18,741,159, are expected to take part in today’s Special Voting, December 2.

This exercise is taking place in 14 of Ghana’s 16 regions, with the Eastern and Western Regions excluded. This exclusion follows an EC directive to recall and reprint ballot papers due to a breach of security seals. As a result, Special Voting in these two regions has been rescheduled for Thursday, December 5.

Jean Mensa, the EC Chairperson, reassured the public during an Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting that the voting process will be both credible and efficient. She affirmed the EC’s commitment to transparency and ensuring a free and fair election.

The Special Voting exercise will run from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at designated polling stations in the 14 regions. Voters are required to present valid identification to cast their ballots.

Unlike regular voting, the ballots cast during Special Voting will not be counted on the same day. Instead, they will be securely stored and counted on December 7 at the Constituency Collation Centres.

These results will be recorded separately on the Presidential and Parliamentary Election Results Collation Forms and later incorporated into the overall election results.

By: Gyamfuah Owusu Ackom