Can anybody vote in public elections?
The answer to the question above is no. As I have said, voting is very important but it is not everybody who can vote. There is an age limit.
The Constitution of our country, which is the supreme law of our land, only allows citizens of Ghana who are 18 years old or above and of sound mind to vote. Such people are also entitled to be registered as voters for public elections and referenda.
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It is as a result of this that in the ongoing voters registration exercise for instance, only such people are being registered. If you know you are below 18 years of age, don't go to the registration centres to register your name or the polling centres on election day to vote.
Similarly, if you are not a Ghanaian, don't do this. If you are caught doing such , the law will deal with you. Be a good citizen to report anybody who is not eligible but trying to register or vote to law enforcement agents or a trusted adult for the necessary action to be taken against them.
Where can you vote?
The Electoral Commission has set up special places where qualified voters can go and vote on election day. They are known as polling stations. Know that where you register your name in the EC's electoral register is where you can vote.
For instance, in this ongoing registration exercise, if the premises of your school is a polling station and that is where you registered, then that is the only place you can go and vote on election day. If you go to any other polling station, your name might not be in the electoral register so you cannot vote.
Transfer of vote
Having said the above, I know some of you will ask: what if I relocate to a place far from the place I initially registered my name.
Don't worry, there is a provision for you there. Information from the Electoral Commission's website indicates that if you have been a resident for at least two months in a constituency (one of the official areas of a country that elects someone to represent it in a
Parliament or Legislature) other than the one in which you originally registered, you may apply to the district electoral officer of your new constituency or to the commission (by filling a form designed for the purpose) for your name to be transferred from your original polling station to a polling station in your new area of residence so that you can vote there on election day.
However, the application must be received 42 days before the day set for the election in order for the necessary arrangements to be completed.
Once your name has been transferred, you can only vote at your newly assigned station, not at your original station.
Your name will continue to be on the register of your original station until the register is replaced. Before then, you have to apply to transfer your vote at every election.
What is vote by proxy?
Some people are registered voters; however, due to certain circumstances, they may not be around in person to vote on election day.
Such people could ask someone they trust to cast their votes for them. This is called a proxy vote and the person casting that vote is often referred to as a proxy.
The person voting on your behalf can either go to your polling station to cast your vote or can apply to vote for you by post.
The circumstances under which one can apply for proxy vote include illness or physical condition which prevents one from going to the polling station on election day. Work or education are other reasons which may be considered.
Others include absence due to personal reasons, for example if you are away on holiday and if you are a Ghanaian citizen living overseas.