Today marks the start of the nationwide Special Voting process by the Electoral Commission (EC).
This enables media professionals, election officials, and security guards to cast their ballots ahead of the general election on December 7.
Due to a ballot recall, the exercise in the Western and Eastern Regions, which was originally scheduled for 328 centers, has been rescheduled for Thursday, December 5, 2024.
The polls, which will be open from 7 am to 5 pm, will have 131,478 eligible voters, or 0.007% of the 18.7 million voters.
“We are ready to conduct transparent, credible, and peaceful elections,” Jean Mensa, the chairperson of the EC, assured reporters last Friday.
According to Mrs. Jean Mensa, journalists and security personnel who did not qualify for special voting would not be able to cast ballots on December 2 but will be able to take part in the main election on December 7.
Votes cast during the Special Voting exercise will not be counted right away, she stressed. Rather, they will be added to the general election results after being counted at the Constituency Collation Centers on December 7.
Prior to combining these results with the total count from all polling places, the Returning Officer will individually record these results on the Presidential and Parliamentary Election Results Collation Forms at each Constituency Collation Center.
All vote boxes will be sealed and kept in locked rooms at police stations in each constituency to guarantee ballot security.
Presiding Officers have been directed by the EC not to count Special Voting ballots on the day of casting.
The National Elections Security Taskforce chair and Inspector-General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, told the public that strong security measures are in place to ensure a safe and peaceful election process.
On Saturday, December 7, 2024, there will be general elections to choose a new president and 276 Members of Parliament.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com