EC issues locations of Special Voting centres
The Special Voting exercise for security personnel and other officials to be engaged in official duties during Voting Day, December 7, 2016, takes place in all 275 constituencies across the country today, December 1.
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Consequently, the Electoral Commission has issued locations of the various polling stations per each constituency, to enable voters eligible for the special dispensation easily locate the centres.
Graphic Online publishes the centres for nine regions that have so far been released by the EC. The list will be updated as soon as the centres for the final region, Northern Region, is made available by the EC.
At Madina in the Greater Accra Region, about 50 electorates were already in a queue as at 5am waiting for the process to start at 7am to cast their ballot reports Abdul-Jalil Yakubu. Also on hand at the time were policemen on duty to police the process.
According to the Madina District Electoral Officer, Mr Kingsley Owusu-Ansah, 1,195 electorates are expected to cast their ballots. "We are prepared to ensure the smooth running of the process. As you can see as at 6:00am we have already set up, showing our readiness,"he told Graphic Online.
Agents of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and the New Patriotic New Patriotic Party (NPP) were the only representatives as at 6:29.
Mr Anane Adjeigah, the agent for the NDC, was hopeful the process goes on successfully, saying "as at now we are pleased at the readiness of the EC officials and everything.”
For his part, Mohammed Sabiu of the NPP, when asked of his impressions, said "We have not started the process, (we are) waiting to see what happens."
From Ablekuma West, Stephen Bonsu reports that security seals brought in by the New Patriotic Party as part of efforts to validate ballot boxes were found to be too large to fit in their designated holes, necessitating replacements within minutes by the party’s constituency office.
There was some drama however, as one of the newly provided seals got broken whilst being fixed on a ballot box.
Voting started at exactly at 7amwith all EC officials and political party representatives available and discharging their duties.
The centre has 585 Special Voters.
Voting starts on time in Ashaiman
As at 7:07 in Ashaiman, Anthony Kofi Agbovi reports that hundreds of security personnel and others with special election duties on December 7 had queued to cast their ballots.
Speaking to the returning officer Mr. Martin Okyerefo, he said 15 out of 993 voters expected to cast their ballots at the centre had already done so.
He advised people who's names are not in the register to go back to their constituencies on December 7 to exercise their franchise.
Tema Central
Benjamin Xornam Glover reports that at the Tema Community 8 Police Station, in the Tema Central Constituency, voters have joined a queue to cast their vote.
Voting started at 7am and as at 8:45am, 51 people had cast their ballots.
The Returning Officer for the constituency, Mr Isaac Asamoah told GraphicOnline that 458 registered voters were expected to cast their ballot. Three persons who reported at the centre as at the time of filing this report could not find their names in the special voters list and were directed to go to the constituency they registered in.
The process has so far been smooth except for the missing names.
Tema East
Voting started at exactly 7am in the Tema East constituency, where the returning officer, Mr. Samuel Jerry Akomah expects 562 voters to cast their ballots, reports Anthony Kofi Agbovi.
According to Mr. Ankomah the major challenge in his centre is the inability of some voters to find their names in the register. He has however advised them to visit the other two adjoining centers, Communities 2 and 8 to verify.
The atmosphere at the centre is calm with everybody waiting patiently to cast their ballot.
