Electoral Commission to display voters register for ten days

The Electoral Commission (EC) will begin the display of the biometric voters register from September 1 to 10, this year.

All the 23,000 centres where prospective voters were registered during the registration period would be opened for all to cross-check their data, make corrections and also ensure that their names are in the voter roll.

Originally the commission had indicated in official communication that the exhibition would be done in August, this year, but this has been changed to September.

The 10-day exhibition would enable the electorates correct minor errors that were made during the registration.

The commission has also set aside seven days, from September 11 to 18, 2012, to make corrections and major changes. This type of correction would be done at the District Electoral Offices.

An official of the EC disclosed these to the Daily Graphic in Accra.

The information has since been confirmed confirmed by the Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC) and the National Organiser of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan and Mr Abu Forgor respectively. The two represented their parties at an Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting last week.

There will be three documents at the exhibition centres. Registered voters can check their names, photographs and other particulars in the first document and make corrections if any.

The second document contains the names of those who were registered outside the stipulated registration period and such persons would not be able to cast their votes, because their names and photographs would not be in the register.

Those who engaged in multiple registrations will have their names in the third document. They will have the chance to offer grounds for engaging in multiple registration.

It is believed some people registered more than once for genuine reasons. They include instances where data collected were wrong and officials decided to correct them by organising a fresh registration. Others decided to register again because their pictures were blurred.

Most of those in this category registered at the same registration centre and on the same computer with most of their details being correct with the exception of one or two details.

However, those who were criminally minded and registered with different names and ages at different registration centres and in some cases in separate regions or districts, would be made to face the full rigours of the law.

Already the commission has established an Adjudication Committee which is reviewing the over 6,000 multiple registration cases.

The EC has also hinted that those found culpable during the adjudication process will have their photographs published in some national newspapers. They could also face legal action.

The commission carried out a nationwide Biometric Voter Registration exercise from March 24 to May 5, 2012, to produce a register to replace the photo voters register.

Source: Daily Graphic