EC cites lack of coordination in failure to use NIA database for voter's register

Jean Mensa, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana, has shed light on the reasons behind the EC's inability to utilize the Ghana Card database as the basis of a future electoral register.

Mensa attributed the failure to a fundamental lack of coordination between the National Identification Authority (NIA) and the EC.

She underscored that the Ghana Card registration process lacked the crucial element of associating individuals with specific polling stations, rendering the current database unsuitable for the organization of elections.

During her address to the press on September 18, 2023, she explained that while the Ghana Card registration allowed individuals to enroll from anywhere in the country, the voter card registration was specific to polling stations.

"The registration for the national identification card was not done on polling station basis. I think we all know that anywhere you found yourself in the country, you could register for the Ghana Card.

"However, the EC voter card is done on a polling station basis; it drills down to the person's polling station. And so it enables the commission to know the number of registrants in each polling station and plan adequately for them," Mensa stated.

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She further clarified the significance of this polling station-based approach during the election process.

"The EC utilizes biometric verification devices at polling stations to validate voters' identities.

"These devices cross-reference each voter's details with their respective polling stations, allowing for precise verification of fingerprints and facial recognition," she added.

Mensa expressed her regret that the Ghana Card registration process did not adopt a similar polling station-based approach, which, she believes, would have greatly facilitated the integration of the NIA database into the electoral system.

"We are not able to do this with a Ghana card because, as I mentioned, the Ghana card is not done on a polling station basis, which is unfortunate, because I believe in the planning of these things.

"We should have been able to jaw-jaw to that discussion that let us do the Ghana card on a polling station basis," Jean Mensa said.

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