Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Mensa, has provided assurance to the people of Ghana that her organization will not exclude any eligible voters in preparation for the 2024 general elections.
Mrs. Mensa emphasized that the Commission has implemented the necessary measures to ensure that every qualified voter is included in the EC’s voter register.
She stressed, “We have heard allegations from various quarters that the commission is seeking to disenfranchise eligible voters. This is false; we have no interest in disenfranchising any eligible person.”
The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) further revealed that her organization plans to conduct a continuous registration exercise nationwide in the coming year to ensure that all eligible individuals are registered.
Additionally, Mrs. Mensa stated that the EC would identify areas with limited accessibility and carry out a mop-up registration exercise in those regions.
She strongly urged Ghanaians to refrain from attempting to register minors, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the integrity of the registration process.
Mrs. Mensa also called upon the public to assist the commission in addressing the issue of ineligible individuals attempting to enter the registration process, pledging that the EC would make every effort to prevent ineligible voters from being included on the register.
On September 12, the EC initiated a limited voter registration exercise, aimed at registering citizens who have turned 18 since the previous registration event.
This 21-day exercise also provides an opportunity for Ghanaians who had not previously registered with the EC to have their names added to the voter list.
However, since the commencement of the process, some citizens have raised concerns and accused the EC of potentially using the exercise to exclude eligible individuals from participating in the registration.
Mrs. Mensa, during her presentation at the ‘Let the Citizens Know’ series on Monday, September 18, dismissed these allegations and disclosed that 182,931 Ghanaians had been registered within the first six days of the exercise.
She reiterated “We do not intend to disenfranchise eligible voters. It is in our interest to register them all.”
Addressing concerns regarding the Electoral Commission’s decision to utilize its 268 offices for the limited registration exercise, she clarified that the ongoing process is solely an update of the existing voter register.
“It is not a full-blown registration. It is important to note that this will not be the only registration exercise before the 2024 elections”.
“In line with our plans to promote an inclusive participatory registration process, we plan to institute continuous registration in all our district offices nationwide in 2024 for a considerable length of time,” Mrs Mensa assured.