The Special Voting exercise starts today, December 2, 2024, at designated centers across 14 regions of Ghana, allowing eligible personnel, including security officers, media practitioners, and election officials, to cast their votes ahead of the December 7 polls.
A total of 131,478 voters, representing 0.007% of the country’s 18,741,159 registered electorate, are expected to participate in this critical pre-election process.
However, the Eastern and Western Regions will not take part in today’s voting due to reported breaches of security seals and defaced ballot papers. The Electoral Commission (EC) has rescheduled the exercise in these regions for Thursday, December 5, to ensure the integrity of the electoral process.
Speaking at a press briefing on Sunday, December 1, 2024, EC Chairperson Jean Mensa assured the public of a smooth and credible process in the 14 participating regions.
She reiterated the Commission’s commitment to transparency and urged voters to adhere to guidelines, including presenting valid identification at polling centers.
Voting will run from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with heightened security overseen by the National Election Security Taskforce. Political parties have deployed agents to monitor the process, while observers from various organizations will ensure transparency.
Votes cast during the Special Voting will not be counted immediately. Instead, they will be tallied on December 7 at Constituency Collation Centres and merged with results from the main election.
The Returning Officer at each center will document these results separately before incorporating them into the final counts.
The EC has appealed for calm and cooperation from all stakeholders, emphasizing that these measures are part of efforts to deliver a free, fair, and credible election.
