Voter turnout drops in Election 2008

Accra, Dec. 10, GNA - In spite of the media hype of Election 2008, voter turnout dropped from 8,813,908 total vote cast representing 85.1 percent of total registered voters of 10,354,970 in Election 2004 to 8,671,272 total votes cast representing 69.52 percent of total registered voters of 12,472,758.

Electoral Statistics from the Research and Monitoring Department of the Electoral Commission (EC) made available to the Ghana News Agency on Wednesday indicated that the total valid votes cast in Election 2004 was 8,625,785 whiles total valid votes in Election 2008 was 8,465,834.

According to the EC's statistics, in Election 2004, the Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party Mr John Agyekum Kufuor obtained 4,524,074 votes representing 52.4 percent whiles in Election 2008, the party's Candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo obtained 4,159,439 votes representing 49.13 percent.

The main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Presidential Candidate in Election 2004 Professor John Evans Atta Mills obtained 3,850,368 votes representing 44.6 percent whiles in Election 2008, he obtained 4,056,634 votes representing 47.92 percent.

In Election 2004, the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples National Convention (PNC) Dr Edward Nasigrie Mahama obtained 165,375 votes representing 1.9 percent whiles in Election 2008 he obtained 73,494 votes representing 0.87 percent.

The Convention Peoples Party's Presidential Candidate in Election 2004, Mr George Aggudey obtained 85,968 votes representing 1.0 percent whiles Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom in Election 2008 obtained 113,494 votes representing 1.34 percent.

In the 1996 a total of 111,108 ballots were rejected representing 1.53 percent of 7,256,872 ballot cast; in Election 2000, the number of rejected ballot dropped to 104,214 representing 1.58 percent of 6,605,084 ballot cast.

In Election 2004, the total rejected ballots amounted to 188,123 representing 2.13 percent of 8,813,908 ballots cast whiles in Election 2008 the total rejected ballot is 205,438 representing 2.4 percent of 8,671,272 votes cast.