EC registers 251,149 new voters in six days

The Electoral Commission, as of close of business on Sunday, May 12, 2024, had registered a total of 251,149 new voters, representing a daily average of 45,000.

Out of the total figure, a total of 135, 898 (54.11 per cent) of the registered voters are females, and 115,251 (45.89 per cent) are males.

Addressing a press conference in Accra on Monday, Dr Bossman Eric Asare, Deputy Chairman of the EC in charge of Corporate Services, said the Commission had also registered 400 persons with disabilities across the country.

Regional breakdown

The Greater Accra region has registered 33,899 voters (13.5 per cent);

North East, 6,928 (2.8 per cent);

Upper East, 10,646 (4.2 per cent);

Northern, 19,491 (7.8 per cent);

Bono, 8.972 (3.6 per cent);

Bono East, 9, 681 (3.9 per cent);

Volta, 12,190 (4.9 per cent);

Upper West, 8,474 (3.4 per cent);

Eastern, 25, 625 (10.2 per cent);

Central, 27, 984 (11.1 per cent), and

Ahafo, 6, 273 (2.5 per cent).

The remaining registrations are Ashanti, 44,232 (17.6 per cent),

Western North; 9,134 (3.6 per cent);

Oti; 7, 259 (2.9 per cent);

Savannah 5, 261 (2.1 per cent); and

Western Region, 15,100 (6.0 per cent).

Dr Asare said the first-time voters, representing applicants between the ages of 18 and 21 constitute the majority of registered voters across the country, accounting for 221,066 out of the total registered voters within the first six days.

He said in the first five days of the registration exercise, 98,926 applicants, constituting 39.39 per cent used the Ghana Card, with some 622 applicants, representing 0.25 per cent using the Passport.

Dr Asare said the guarantor system had been used by 151,601 applicants, representing 60.36 per cent.

The EC said out of a total of 2,935 challenge cases, the Greater Accra Region recorded the highest with 524 challenged cases.

“The guarantor system continues to dominate the forms of identification. This is something the Commission is not proud of because it is used by political parties and certain persons to facilitate the registration of unqualified persons such as minors and foreigners,” he said.

Dr Asare said the Commission was hopeful that in future registration exercises, the Ghana Card would be the sole identity document to help curb the chaos in registration centres over the ages and nationality of applicants.

The Commission appealed to political parties to desist from using violence to challenge the eligibility of applicants but resort to the appropriate modalities to resolve such cases.

The Commission also appealed to parents to ensure that their children below 18 years did not go to register.