Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Mensa, has dismissed calls for a forensic audit of the voter register ahead of the 2024 general election, describing them as “premature and unnecessary.”
According to her, the Commission has already taken substantial steps to clean up the Provisional Voters Register and address discrepancies.
Speaking at an Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting with various political parties, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and other stakeholders on Tuesday, the EC Chairperson reiterated that the EC does not require external assistance to ensure the accuracy of the voter register.
She stated, “We have cleaned up the Provisional Voters Register and corrected all discrepancies identified to date.”
The call for a forensic audit came after the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) raised concerns about the accuracy of the register.
“Following a meeting called at the instance of the NDC to discuss the discrepancies detected by the party, they presented the Commission with five categories of issues they identified with the Provisional Voters Register. At the meeting, they highlighted a few examples of each category,” she noted.
The EC Chairperson announced that the Commission will re-exhibit the provisional voters register online to ensure full transparency and allow for further scrutiny.
“We have developed an online platform to allow voters to review their registration details at no cost to the voter. Additionally, we will provide a period within which voters will be able to report any discrepancies they have with their registration details in the districts where they registered and have them resolved,” Jean Mensa said.
The EC, she said, has also enlisted the help of its field staff across its 40,000-plus exhibition centres to scrutinize the register for any discrepancies, which are then corrected by the Commission’s IT team.
The Chairperson assured the public that the Provisional Voters Register is both robust and accurate, stating that the Commission has employed tried-and-tested legal and administrative processes as outlined in Ghana’s electoral laws.
“As a Commission, we can confidently state that most of the discrepancies discovered to date have been resolved. The provisional voters register is robust and accurate for the 2024 election. We urge all voters to review their details and to present any discrepancies they may have to us. This process, we believe, will guarantee a further cleaning of the register,” she said.
Jean Mensa also announced that all political parties will receive copies of the revised provisional voters register for review to further promote transparency. She stressed that the provisional voters register is a draft and not the final voters register.
She added that the Commission is following the regulations of Ghana’s electoral laws, including Regulations 23 and 24 of the Public Elections Registration of Voters Regulations, 2016 (C.I. 91), as amended by C.I. 126, to ensure the integrity of the final register.
The EC is expected to open a designated time frame within which voters can submit discrepancies in their registration details, free of charge, before finalizing the voters’ register for the 2024 elections.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC), however, reiterated its demand for a forensic audit of the voter register and the EC IT system.
Citing the transfers in Pusiga as an example, NDC Director of Elections, Dr. Omane Boamah described them as ‘outright criminal’ and called for a thorough evaluation of the EC’s IT infrastructure.
Dr. Boamah questioned whether login credentials assigned to EC district directors could be uniquely modified to trace digital footprints in cases of unauthorized transfers.
He argued that trust in the EC has been eroded, as assurances from the Commission are being viewed with scepticism.
“Our demand is twofold: a forensic audit of the register and a forensic audit of the IT system of the Electoral Commission,” Boamah stated, stressing the need for transparency to restore public confidence ahead of the 2024 elections.
New Patriotic Party (NPP) Director of Elections, Gary Nimako, challenged the NDC to provide concrete evidence supporting their claims of electoral discrepancies.
He emphasized that despite previous calls from stakeholders for the NDC to present their concerns, the party has yet to submit any detailed allegations to the Electoral Commission (EC).
“Today, as we speak, the NDC is yet to give those so-called allegations and discrepancies to the Electoral Commission. That should be on record,” Nimako stated.
He challenged the NDC to bring forth their claims for public scrutiny, asserting that the EC has addressed all issues raised and that calls for a forensic audit are “needless” without substantiated allegations.
Nimako also stressed the importance of ensuring that Ghana remains peaceful in the lead-up to the elections, calling on all political parties to act responsibly.