Electoral Commission invites journalists to witness ballot printing

The Electoral Commission (EC) invited journalists on Friday, November of 1 to observe the ballot printing process at three of the six designated facilities responsible for printing both presidential and parliamentary ballots for the upcoming elections on 7 December.

The chosen printing companies are Inolink Printing Limited, Buck Press, and Acts Commercial.

Dr Benjamin Bannor-Bio, the EC’s Director of Electoral Services, noted that only parliamentary ballots are currently being printed, as the printing of presidential ballots is on hold for ten days following the recent passing of Akua Donkor, the flagbearer for the Ghana Freedom Party. He emphasised the collaborative nature of the printing process, stating that representatives from political parties are present at every stage to verify important details, such as serial numbers and the quantities specific to each constituency.

“When we say transparency and accountability are in motion, we don’t just say it but we mean it. The Electoral Commission of Ghana is one of the few election management institutions in the sub-region that prints ballot papers in the country, and Buck Press is one of our major stakeholders when it comes to printing the ballot. For the 2024 general election, Buck Press is printing for four regions: Ashanti, Oti, Savanna, and Central regions.”

“We are here to let you know that printing ballots is not done in secrecy. We open up to the public for you to know that we are doing it together with the political party agents. At every level, these agents are there, and they are observing to ensure that the right thing is done.”

“They take notice of the serial numbers and the quantities being printed for each constituency, and we provide them with all these details,” he explained. He added: “Apart from the Electoral Commission seal, they add their own seal and take records of the same. So, in printing ballot papers, there is no secrecy; it’s completely transparent.”

Also speaking to journalists, Dr Bossman Asare, Deputy Commissioner in charge of operations, urged the public to ignore any misinformation or disinformation from anyone or any group attempting to discredit the EC and its activities. He emphasised that everything is being done transparently to ensure free and fair elections on 7 December.

The EC’s decision to allow journalists to witness the ballot printing is intended to enhance transparency and foster public trust in their operations.

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