‘Y Dialogues’ educates youth on electoral practices

The last edition of the Y Dialogues Vote on Issues Campaign organized by YFM focused on educating the youth about various election practices that must be adhered to on Election Day, December 7.

The Dialogues which took place at the African Regent Hotel over the weekend witnessed representatives from the Electoral Commission and the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) delve into the important issues of what the youth practice on the day of voting.

Opening the dialogues, Mr. Johnson Opoku, Director of Programmes, NCCE, said, “every young person in Ghana must take part in the voting on December 7 since in 1992 Ghanaians decided to adopt the democratic system of governance,’’ adding that, “Ghanaians must come out in their number to vote for their preferred candidates since those who refuse to vote are undermining the kind of governance system the country is working towards.’’

He advised the youth to respect the rights of other voters to cast a secret ballot on voting day and call on the presiding officer if they notice any irregularity instead of taking issues into their own hands. Do not try to inspect anyone’s votes, do not try to influence any voter and do not interfere in the voting process at the polling station, he stated.

He continued that nobody should wear any party paraphernalia to the polling station and campaigns should cease on the day of voting especially at the polling station to avoid any confrontation.

On his part, Mr. Watson Apentsui of the Research and Monitoring Department at the Electoral Commission, said, “Do not be influenced to engage in multiple voting and do not sell or buy a ballot paper,’’ adding that, “do not interfere in the work of the security at the polling station.’’

He continued that election officials who refuse to comply with election rules will be sanctioned and therefore the youth should not give orders to election officials or interfere in their work at the polling station.

He stated that people in the queue at 5:00pm will be processed to vote but those who report after 5:00pm cannot cast their votes. Also, those without voter ID cards can also be processed to vote as long as their personal details have been captured in the voters register.

The Y-Dialogues is a platform for achievers in various fields to share their vast experiences with the youth to inspire them to aim high in their career aspirations and equip them with the right information to succeed.

This year’s edition is geared towards the elections in December with both on-air and off-air engagements as well as social media drive with the hashtag #voteonissues. The Vote on Issues Campaign is sponsored by STAR-Ghana and supported by Global Media Alliance, e.TV Ghana and the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition.