EC targets 623,000 new applicants as limited voter exercise begins today

The Electoral Commission (EC) is expected to commence registration of eligible voters today in an important exercise towards the 2024 general elections in December.

Ghanaians who have attained age 18 and other adult citizens who do not have voter identification cards can participate in the exercise to enable them to vote in the presidential and parliamentary elections later this year.

A total of 3,277 EC personnel have been engaged for the 21-day exercise, which will end on May 27, 2024.

The registration will take place in all 268 district offices of the commission and an additional 785 centres to accommodate those who may find it difficult to access the district offices. Additionally, 25 public universities have also been included as registration venues.

The upcoming limited voter registration exercise aims to register approximately 623,000 first-time voters nationwide.

The EC intends to submit the provisional voter register to the political parties between July 9 and 18, 2024, and mount an exhibition of the voter register between July 15 and 24, 2024.

The final voter register is expected to be submitted to the political parties between August 30 and September 5, 2024.

All logistics have been deployed to the centres, including arrangements for standby generators to curtail power challenges.

“We’ve had all our district offices rent generators so that in the event of ‘dumsor’, they can kick in,” EC Chairperson Jean Mensa disclosed ahead of the exercise.

“However, should there be the unexpected, we would switch on to the offline and by offline, it means the voters will be registered, and their details will be put on a pen drive that will be copied in our offices when the light returns, so the registration will not be disrupted.”