Challenges bedevil special voting
Some security officers, journalists and officials of the Electoral Commission (EC) desirous of exercising their franchise in the Special (early) Voting exercise across the country left the voting centres disappointed because they could not find their names on the special voters list.
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Some of the voters who encountered some challenges, including issues with verification and wrong typing of ID numbers, insisted on voting, although their names were not in the special voters register.
But they were not allowed to do so by presiding officers and party agents.
In some instances, a number of prospective special voters had their details and names appearing at polling stations and in constituencies they were not aware of.
EC admits challenges
In a frantic effort to deal with the challenges, the EC last night called for an emergency meeting of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) to discuss the problems and find the way forward.
Meanwhile, the EC has advised the affected voters to calm their nerves, since it is working with the top hierarchy of the security agencies to resolve the problem as soon as possible.
In a statement issued in Accra yesterday, the EC admitted the challenges that came with the special voting and said the issue had been discussed with the presidential candidates and their running mates during a presidential dialogue organised by the commission.
The commission urged the security personnel affected to remain calm, as arrangements would be made for them to vote in this year’s elections.
A total of 127,394 people drawn from the security services, the media and the Electoral Commission (EC) were expected to cast their votes during the special nationwide exercise.
The special voting became necessary because some voters had to vote early to free them to play various roles during the December 7 polls.
Dome-Kwabenya
From the Dome-Kwabenya Constituency, Doreen Hammond reports from the Atomic Police Station that the voting started there at exactly 7 a.m. as scheduled.
But more than 100 voters were disappointed because their names were not on the list of voters.
According to the Presiding Officer, Mr John Agbavor, some policemen and other security personnel who had been transferred from one area to another were not aware that they still had to go back to where they had registered to vote.
"If they really want to vote, then some would have to go to as far as Wa and Bolga and reach there before 5 p.m. today," he explained.
Aside from that challenge, voting went on in an orderly manner.
The polling agent for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Ronald Hemans, said there seemed to have been some communication problem between the EC and the Ghana Police Service and that was what had resulted in the inability of some policemen to vote.
Mr Frederick Adu Tutu, the polling agent for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), said the situation was unfortunate, but he was generally satisfied with the exercise.
Some special voters going through the process
Weija/Gbawe
From the Weija/Gbawe Constituency, Edmund Smith-Asante reports that there were challenges with missing names. As of 12 noon, 123 people out of the expected 300 voters had cast their ballots.
According to the Presiding Officer, Mr Donald D. Danquah, some security personnel who turned up could not find their names, ostensibly because their names had not been processed early enough by their offices.
He, however, said all polling officials had been instructed by the EC to allow security personnel in uniform to vote without joining queues as soon as they got to the polling stations on Election Day, so that the personnel could perform the duties assigned them.
Esther Somuah reports from the Trobu Constituency in Accra that voting started smoothly at 7 a.m. at the Mile Seven Police Station.
Some EC officials could not find their names at the centre, while security personnel who could not find their names on the list left disappointed.
Gertrude Ankah Nyavi reports that hundreds of eligible voters turned out at the James Town Number Two Polling Station in the Odododiodoo Constituency in Accra to cast their votes.
However, 30 voters could not find their names on the register as of the time of the visit by the Daily Graphic around 8 a.m.
The Presiding Officer, Mr Godwin Ayikpa, said some institutions presented the names of their employees to the EC very late; hence, the missing of some names from the register.
He, however, assured those who could not cast their ballots during the special voting that they would be given the opportunity to do so on December 7.
Beatrice Laryea reports that 823 people were billed to vote at the Adentan District Police Headquarters in the Adentan Constituency.
But some voters encountered a few challenges, including issues with verification and wrong typing of ID numbers, while others insisted on voting, although their names were not in the register.
Both the parliamentary candidates of the NDC and the NPP, Mohammed Adamu Ramadan and Yaw Buabeng Asamoah, respectively, were in attendance to observe proceedings.
In separate interviews, both candidates applauded the Adentan EC for overseeing a smooth process.
From the Klottey Korle Constituency, Timothy Ngnenbe reports that the exercise began on a rather bustling note, with hundreds of prospective voters turning up to cast their votes.
However, some of them could not find their names on the special voters list, with some of them being redirected by EC officials to go to the constituencies where they registered to check their details.
There were visible signs of frustration on the faces of the disappointed voters as they left the designated polling centre.
Benjamin Xornam Glover reports that at the Tema Community Eight Police Station in the Tema Central Constituency, some security personnel who had come from Kumasi and Sekondi were worried that they might be denied the opportunity to vote.
Mr Isaac Asamoah, the Presiding Officer, in an interview, confirmed that the special voters list was updated last Wednesday evening.
At the Ashaiman District Police Station, voters, mainly police personnel, were angry, complaining that their names were missing from the voters list.
They alleged that the EC had deleted their names from the initial list that was released a day to the special voting day.
Among the affected persons in the Ashaiman Constituency were the District Police Commander, DSP Seth Tay, and the District Crime Officer, Mr Herbert Sosu.
The Presiding Officer at the centre, Mr Martin Okyerefo, told the Daily Graphic that the voters register for the centre had 933 eligible voters, out of which 125 had cast their ballot as of 12 noon.
Stephen Bonsu reports from Ablekuma West that the incumbent Member of Parliament, Lawyer Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, accused the EC of introducing 93 fake names into the constituency register for the special voters exercise.
Lawyer Owusu-Ekuful, who went to the polling centre with some piled sheets of paper in hand, claimed that her office had received three types of register prior to the special voting exercise.
"The first was full of mistakes and the last one is no exception. We received the last list just last night, out of which we made out 93 names which were not in the register of the Ablekuma West Constituency,” she said.
The outspoken lawyer also stated that she could count young voters aged 18, 19 and 20 in the register who were listed as EC election staff.
She found the act fraudulent, since some senior EC election staff who came to the centre had their names omitted.
The Presiding Officer, Mr Frank Agyei, acknowledged receiving a copy of Lawyer Owusu-Ekuful's list.
He explained that he would cross-check the details and act upon the complaint.
