NDC lists serious issues discovered in the 2024 Voter Register

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has expressed deep concerns regarding the integrity of the voter register compiled by the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) for the upcoming 7 December 2024 general elections.

The party claims that serious discrepancies exist between the 2024 Provisional Voter Register provided to them and the one employed by EC officials during the recent Voter Register Exhibition exercise.

Key figures within the NDC, including the party’s flagbearer and former President John Dramani Mahama, have pointed to numerous issues within the voter register. These issues reportedly include the inclusion of deceased persons, instances of multiple registrations, illegal voter transfers, and unnotified changes in polling stations, among others.

In an interview with Metro TV on Wednesday, 28 August 2024, Dr Omane Boamah, the NDC's Director of Elections and ICT, voiced his astonishment at the number of anomalies discovered in the 2024 Provisional Voter Register. Dr Boamah highlighted that the register provided to the NDC differs significantly from the one used for the exhibition exercise.

Among the most alarming findings, Dr Boamah claimed that the NDC identified 50,000 deceased individuals still listed on the voter register. Our study of the register since they gave it to us has identified 50,000 dead people on it. We are still taking out the dead people, he stated.

He also raised concerns about illegal voter transfers, citing the example of the constituency of the Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, where nearly 2,000 voters were allegedly transferred out of the constituency without their knowledge, while a similar number of voters were transferred in. “How can this be tolerated in a democracy when we only have September, October, November to an election? Three clear months to the election,” Dr Boamah questioned.

Another significant issue raised was the unnotified changes to polling stations. Dr Boamah explained that voters had their polling stations changed without their knowledge, complicating the voting process. He criticised the EC for delaying the provision of the register, which hindered the NDC's ability to inform affected voters of such changes.

Furthermore, Dr Boamah highlighted the EC's failure to capture the biometric details of proxy voters, a lapse he described as dangerous. He warned that this oversight could enable fraudulent voting, such as voting on behalf of deceased individuals.

Finally, the NDC election director revealed that many eligible voters were unable to find their names on the register, while others who had registered only once were wrongly placed on the Multiple Registration List.

The NDC's concerns come just three months before the general elections, raising questions about the readiness and transparency of the electoral process. The party has urged the EC to address these issues promptly to ensure a fair and credible election.

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