Only accredited personnel can visit polling stations

Journalists, electoral observers, and political party functionaries without accreditation would not be allowed to go round the polling stations on the election day.

Ministers, members of parliament and district chief executives, apart from casting their votes at their various polling stations would also not be allowed to do any other thing at the stations.

Mr Kwame Boateng, Upper West regional director of the Electoral Commission announced this on Wednesday when he spoke on the electoral process at a seminar at Wa. The seminar organised by Media Foundation for West Africa attracted about 20 participants from community radio stations throughout the country.

Mr Boateng asked returning officers and polling agents to ensure that all ballot papers are stamped with validating stamp and signed before they are issued out to voters.

He said all papers not validated would be rejected outright at the polling stations during the vote counting. Mr Boateng said all voters who get to the polling stations or in the voting queue before five p.m. should also be allowed to cast their votes.

"You can only disallow a voter when he or she comes to the polling station at 5 p.m. or after", Mr Boateng explained. He advised the electorate to eschew rumour mongering since that could spark off confusion