EC Assures Ghanaians It Will Extend Voters' Registration Deadline If Necessary

• The Electoral Commission of Ghana has assured Ghanaians it will extend the deadline of the limited voters' registration exercise if necessary
• It stated that it has established several mechanisms to ensure that the registration process goes smoothly
• It said it is committed to ensuring that no Ghanaian is left behind during this electoral process

Ghana's Electoral Commission (EC) says it is willing to extend the duration of the limited voters' registration exercise if necessary.

However, such a decision would only be made if there are still unregistered individuals at the end of the 21 days.

The Electoral Commission, in a press statement on May 8, explained that it was committed to ensuring the full inclusion of all eligible new voters in the upcoming general election.

Due to ill-functioning equipment and delays, the EC was reacting to recent concerns about its inability to register all unregistered new voters by the end of the 21 days.

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“EC must make up”: Prof Jane Naana wants extension of voter registration period following technical challenges

It noted that the EC was doing everything in its power to ensure that all problems are handled and that as many unregistered voters as possible get the opportunity to register.

It urged the unregistered voters to exercise patience as it established mechanisms to ease the registration process.

Also, concerning network challenges that frustrated the registration process on Wednesday, May 7, the EC has directed all its district officers to transition to offline registration mode from Thursday, May 9 onwards.

The EC says the offline mode will mitigate disruptions to the registration process.

EC's plans for limited voter registration

The Electoral Commission hopes to register approximately 623,000 first-time voters across the country.

The commission's chairperson, Jean Mensa, said the officers had rented generators to account for power cuts.

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Electoral Commissioner Rev Ofori Boateng prays over technical hitches during voter registration

After the continuous voter registration exercise from May 7 to May 27, 2024, the commission intends to submit the provisional voters' register to the political parties between July 9 and 18, 2024.

There will also be a nationwide exercise to replace missing voter ID cards starting May 30, 2024.

Jane Opoku-Agyemang urges EC to make up for lost time

Following Wednesday's delays, YEN.com.gh has reported that the running mate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, has suggested the Electoral Commission (EC) extend the days for the limited voter registration exercise.

She wants this in response to disruptions and technical challenges that have delayed the process.

Opoku-Agyemang, who toured some registration centres in Accra, posted on Facebook that the EC must account for the lost hours.

Source: YEN.com.gh