Turnout low in polling stations in Accra

Accra, Dec. 30, GNA - Voting in the district level elections is

proceeding smoothly in various polling stations across Accra

although turnout is generally low, according to various GNA

reporters who are touring the city. Many residents at Kanda, Nima, Pig farm, Dzowulu, Maamobi

and Roman Ridge in the Ayawaso Central and Ayawaso East

constituencies were seen going about their daily duties without

bothering to go and vote.

They told the GNA that lack of publicity and the uncertainties of

the vote had caused apathy among the electorate. At the Nima 1 JSS only one out of 705 expected voters had cast

his vote as at 0745 hours, although voting started promptly at 0700. At the Kanda Estate 2 &3 Primary School Polling Station, only

10 out of 748 potential voters had cast their ballots at 0715 hours. Voting at Pig Farm in Ayawaso Central started at 0900 hours. At

the Apostles Revelation Society polling station at Pig Farm, the

presiding officer told the GNA that voting materials did not arrive

early.

Mr Prince Tamakloe Quarshie, a candidate in the Kotobabi

electoral area District Assembly, said the collation centre received

the voting materials at 0100 hours on Thursday and as at 0915, only

2 out of 1,585 voters had cast their ballots The situation was not different at King of Kings International

School at Dzowulu where 31 people had voted out of the 1,544 at

At the Ngleshie Amanfro electoral area in the Weija Constituency,

turnout was low. The Presiding officer at the Taxi Rank polling centre, Mr Robert

Nyamalor, said voting materials arrived at 0700 hours and voting

started at 0730. He attributed the low turnout to the earlier

postponements of the voting which had discouraged many people

from coming out to vote. "We hope that people will come out in their numbers to vote

during the day as many people have gone to work and markets," he

said.

At the 31st December Day Care, it was detected that a voters'

register with number 1-36 was missing. The presiding officer, Ms Shaban Samiratu, told GNA that she

had reported the matter to the District Returning Officer and had

asked that the ID and polling station numbers of the affected people

should be written down and voters allowed to cast their ballots. The agents of the various aspirants initially objected to this

suggestion and demanded the cancellation of voting at that centre,

but the matter was sorted out at by 0945, voting was proceeding

smoothly. Mr Alex Nyatuame Sena, a candidate in the District Assembly

election, told the GNA that apart from the missing booklet,

everything was moving smoothly and he expressed the hope that the

election would be free and fair election. At the Amanfro DC primary School polling centre, only 15

people had voted at 0830 hours out of 1,139 registered voters. Mr Cornelius Ahiakpor, the presiding officer, said he received

voting material at 0630 and by 0730 voting had started and

expressed the hope that turnout would increase by midday. The DC JSS polling centre recorded 30 out of 1813 registered

voters as at 0830 hours. Ms Florence Sarpong, Deputy returning officer, told GNA that voting materials arrived at 0645 at voting stated at 0730 hours.