The Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana has confirmed that all materials required for the special voting exercise in the Eastern and Western Regions have been successfully dispatched ahead of the scheduled exercise on Thursday.Speaking on Joy FM’s Midday News on Wednesday, Dr. Bossman Asare, Deputy Chairperson of the EC, expressed confidence in the Commission’s preparedness to ensure a smooth process.

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“The Electoral Commission is very much ready for the special voting tomorrow [Thursday]. All the materials that are required for the elections have been dispatched to the two regions, that is the Western Region and the Eastern Region. So we do expect that all those who are special voters in these two regions, regardless of where they are located now, will be able to make it to their special voting centres,” he stated.Dr.

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Asare revealed that there would be 33 voting centres in the Eastern Region and 17 in the Western Region. He urged all registered special voters to participate, emphasizing that those who fail to cast their votes on Thursday would not have the opportunity to do so during the general elections on December 7.Addressing concerns over election integrity, he assured that the EC has taken proactive measures to ensure fairness and transparency.

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He highlighted a recent decision to reprint ballot papers for the two regions following errors detected in the initial batch.“We had a meeting with the parties, and all of us are committed to the integrity of the process. The main conclusion from that meeting was about ensuring that the election will be very fair, free, transparent, and embedded in integrity.

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And that is what we did by taking the decision to reprint the ballot papers for the Eastern and Western Regions,” he explained.Dr. Asare also condemned reported electoral malpractices during Monday’s special voting, including allegations of voter inducement. He indicated that the EC is investigating the incidents and will issue a statement after gathering sufficient evidence.

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“It is against the law to be influencing voters, such as giving food to people, etc. This is something the Commission will issue a statement on, but we must also gather the full evidence in terms of what actually transpired,” he said.

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