The African Electoral Institute (AEI) has appealed to minors to abstain from registering in the ongoing Limited Voter Registration Exercise conducted by the Electoral Commission (EC), stressing the unlawful nature of such actions and the potential long-term consequences.
In a statement released Monday, the AEI emphasized that children under 18 should not participate in the voter registration exercise. The institute further called on parents to prevent their underaged children from being lured into registering by unscrupulous adults offering money or other incentives.
“Parents should advise their underaged children not to follow anyone who tries to lure them with money and other goodies to get registered,” the AEI warned. “We urge parents to report these unscrupulous adults to the police for appropriate action.”
The AEI also appealed to community leaders to support efforts in preventing minors from committing this electoral offence, which is a violation of section 1(1)(b) of the Public Elections Regulations (Voter Registration) C.I. 91, as amended by C.I. 126. Facilitating the registration of underaged individuals constitutes an electoral offence under section 28(1) of the same regulations.
“Getting or facilitating a person who has not attained the age of 18 years to register as a voter is an electoral offence. Minors misled by some politicians or even their parents into registering should be aware of the serious future ramifications. This mistake can affect their future progress forever, as the voter ID card may be linked to their National Identification Cards (Ghana Card).”
The AEI also urged political party agents and members of the public to adhere to proper guidelines during the registration exercise. They emphasized the importance of using the correct procedures to challenge the registration of minors, such as filling out a challenge form, instead of resorting to violence.
“We encourage everyone to follow the appropriate guidelines. If you suspect a registrant to be a minor, pick a challenge form and go through the due process. Resorting to violence is not the solution,” it said.
The AEI’s appeal comes as the EC continues its efforts to ensure a fair and lawful voter registration process and aims to protect the integrity of the electoral system and ensure that all registrants meet the legal requirements.
