The Electoral Commission (EC) has announced the reprinting of ballot papers for the Ahafo and Volta Regions following challenges with the serialisation process during the ongoing preparations for the 2024 general elections.

In a statement issued on November 15, 2024, the EC disclosed that its internal audit of the printing process identified discrepancies in the automated system responsible for generating sequential serial numbers on the ballot papers. To address the issue, the Printing House responsible had resorted to a manual system to fill the gaps, but the EC determined this approach was not sufficiently reliable.

“Upon further assessment, the Commission decided that the manual system was not fool-proof and could therefore not be relied upon to produce an accurate serialisation of the ballots,” the statement read.

The EC informed political parties of its decision at an emergency Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting held on November 15. The reprinting will be carried out by Buck Press and Acts Commercials for the Ahafo and Volta Regions, respectively.

As part of the process, the ballot papers initially printed will be shredded and incinerated, with party representatives present to witness the destruction and sign a Destruction Certificate to ensure transparency.

The Commission clarified that the irregularities were flagged by its own monitoring team stationed at the Printing House and later corroborated by its Audit Department. It emphasized that no political party raised concerns about the issue, although their agents were present during the printing process.

The EC reiterated its commitment to maintaining global standards and professionalism in all aspects of the electoral process, assuring the public of its dedication to delivering credible elections.