Limited registration: EC reacts to claims of disenfranchising eligible voters

The Electoral Commission (EC) has rejected concerns that the ongoing restricted voter registration drive disenfranchised qualified voters.

Such assertions are incorrect, according to EC Chairperson Jean Mensa, who was speaking at a news conference.

The head of the EC emphasized that it is not in the commission’s best interests to deny any qualified voter their right to vote.

She mentioned that the Commission is working nonstop to make sure that everyone who is qualified to vote may register easily.

She stated that “In fact, we take pride in the fact that we have the second-highest number of registered voters in the whole of Africa, with the exception of Cape Verde, which has a national population of just about 600,000 and a voting population of 55.33 per cent.

“Per the 2021 census figures, Ghana boasts of a register that captures 55 per cent of the national population, that is 17, 27,000 persons out of a national population of 31 million.

“As a Commission, we pride ourselves on the fact that our voter registration population meets international best practices for the registration of voters.”

The public has expressed reservations about the EC’s decision to handle registration in its 268 district offices rather than in electoral regions, which led to Jean Mensa’s remarks.

The EC boss adds that a new registration would be conducted prior to the 2024 election, claiming that the current registration is not a comprehensive exercise.

“In line with our plans to promote an inclusive participatory registration process, we plan to institute continuous registration in all our district offices nationwide in 2024 for a considerable length of time,” she noted.

Jean Mensa has promised that the Commission would select regions that are challenging to reach and conduct a mop-up operation there.

Although it is not in the Commission’s best interest for eligible voters to lose their right to vote, she argued, the current situation prevents conducting the registration on an electoral basis.

If the C. I. before Parliament passes, according to Madam Mensa, “We would have had some six months this year to register voters at any time of their choice in our district offices throughout the country.”