The political group, The New Force, has urgently petitioned the Electoral Commission of Ghana to greatly increase voter registration access for the 2024 elections.
Their petition expresses serious concerns about the drastic reduction in registration points.
The number of centers has dropped sharply from over 33,000 in previous elections to just 1,068 for the upcoming 2024 election.
In the 2020 elections, this decrease amounts to a mere 3% of the total number of polling places accessible.
The New Force contends that a significant obstacle to eligible voters is created by this harsh restriction in addition to a limited 20-day window for voter registration.
The New Force questioned the Election Commission’s reasoning for making such a dramatic reduction in registration points.
They called for decision-making to be transparent and emphasized the significance of the Commission’s role in maintaining the fairness and inclusivity of the election process.
The New Force called on the Electoral Commission to rethink its strategy and quickly increase voter registration access.
They pointed out that in other democracies, voter registration stays open and easy to access until just weeks before elections. The New Force urged the Commission to adopt this approach to protect the democratic rights of Ghanaian citizens.
The petition wrote:
“This limitation effectively undermines the fundamental right of Ghanaian citizens to freely choose their leaders through fair and accessible elections,”
“The future of our democracy depends on the integrity and inclusivity of our electoral process,”
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