Two arrested for taking pictures of cast ballot papers

Two persons have been arrested at the Krowor constituency in the Greater Accra Region for allegedly taking photographs of their thumb-printed ballot papers during the Special voting exercise. 

In compliance with provisions of the Public Elections Regulations, 2016 (C.I. 94) security personnel, journalists, personnel of the National Ambulance Service, the National Media Commission, and staff of the EC who will be engaged on the voting day, December 7, 2020, cast their votes today, December 1.

In all, some 109,557 Ghanaians were expected to vote.

Shortly after the polls opened, some voters started displaying their cast ballot papers on social media, a practice that is frowned upon by the constitution .

Article 49 of the 1992 constitution states that “at any public election or referendum, voting shall be by secret ballot”. The Representation of the Peoples Law 1992 states, “Every election officer, clerk, interpreter, candidate, election agent or polling agent on duty at a polling station shall maintain and help in maintaining the secrecy of voting and shall not, except for a purpose authorised by law, communicate to any person any information”.

Luck, however, eluded some two individuals at the Krowor constituency who were caught red-handed taking photographs of their cast ballot papers.

Accra-based Starr FM reports that the two were considered to have spent over two minutes in the booth.

Their delay in the booth raised eyebrows compelling security personnel at the polling center to check what had accounted for the delay.

A search was conducted on their phones which revealed they had taken pictures of their ballot papers.

The situation reportedly created uneasy calm at the polling station.

The identities and professions of the two are unknown.

They have been detained at the police station for further interrogation.