Former Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan has emphasised the critical role of professional electoral officers and electronic experts in ensuring the integrity of elections.

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He stressed that the responsibility for any electoral misconduct lies primarily with the Electoral Commission, particularly with its professional officers and electronic specialists.

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Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan while addressing a gathering at the Annual General Conference of the Ghana Bar Association, called for strict scrutiny of the role of electoral officers in ensuring a smooth electoral process.

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"The Electoral Commission must be blamed if votes are being tampered with but not just the Electoral Commissioners but Professional Electoral Officers and Electronic experts. The professional electoral officers and electronic specialists are trained specifically to do what they do hence when the results are being tampered with only them can be held liable," Dr. Afari Gyan stated.

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Professional electoral officers manage the voter registration process, ensure voter identification, and maintain updated voter rolls, among others, whereas Electronic experts ensure the functionality and security of electronic voting systems, including biometric verification devices as well as, manage the collection, transmission, and storage of electronic voting data.

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Dr. Afari-Gyan highlighted that in other countries, similar offences are met with stringent penalties, including imprisonment for up to 10 years.

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He urged Ghana to consider adopting similar measures to reinforce the integrity of its electoral process.

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This comes at the time when the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has raised concerns over inconsistencies in Ghana's voter register ahead of the December 7, 2024 general elections.

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Among the issues highlighted are missing names of registered voters, and potentially denying misplacement of eligible voters on the Exception or Multiple Lists, which could hinder their ability to vote on election day.

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Some disqualified individuals, flagged for multiple registrations or challenges, were still included in the Main Provisional Voters Register (PVR).

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Additionally, unauthorised voter transfers between polling stations were reported, with unresolved transfers from past elections still present.

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Voters were also moved to different polling stations without their consent, creating confusion and possibly suppressing turnout.

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In response to these irregularities, the NDC requested a forensic audit of the voter register, but the Electoral Commission (EC) denied this request, prompting further dissatisfaction from the party.

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Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, the NDC’s Director of Elections and IT, expressed disappointment, stating that the EC refused to allow the independent forensic audit.

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The upcoming elections will see the New Patriotic Party (NPP), led by Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, and the NDC, headed by former president John Dramani Mahama, pegged to be the front runners, compete for the presidency, as incumbent President Nana Akufo-Addo is ineligible to run due to term limits.

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