The Electoral Commission (EC) has declared that the use of indelible ink will be obsolete in the upcoming district-level election and subsequent polls.

Indicating a departure from traditional methods, the EC Chair, Jean Mensa, stated during a press conference ahead of the December 19 district-level election that this decision is part of the Commission's efforts to enhance the electoral process and establish a robust identification system.

Jean Mensa emphasized that with the introduction of biometric technology, the need for indelible ink has diminished.

In the absence of indelible ink, the biometric identification system becomes pivotal in preventing double voting.

“The issue of indelible ink, the question is when we were not doing biometric we were basically using your face, your card. We look at your face and we say this picture looks like you.

“The biometric technology makes it difficult for a person who has been verified and cast their vote to come a second time. So, there is no need for indelible ink. Once you have been verified, it goes into the system and you cannot come back a second time,” she said.

She explained that once a voter has been verified and cast their vote, the system records the information, making it impossible for that individual to vote again.

Previously, facial recognition and card verification were employed, but the advent of biometric technology has significantly enhanced the security and efficiency of the electoral process.

The biometric system effectively identifies and flags any attempts at multiple registrations, ensuring the integrity of the voting system.

Expressing confidence in the efficacy of the new system, Jean Mensa challenged anyone attempting to vote twice to test the system's capabilities, noting that such actions would be deemed electoral offenses.

She reiterated that the biometric technology recognizes facial features and fingerprints, making it foolproof against attempts at casting multiple votes.