Go and register. 18-year-olds to take advantage of limited registration
Young people who have attained the age of 18 have been advised to take advantage of the limited registration exercise which begins tomorrow, April 28, and become registered voters for the forthcoming election.
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The Director in charge of Communications and Corporate Affairs at the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mrs Joyce Afutu, said the registration would give young adults the right to exercise their franchise in the November 7, 2016, presidential and parliamentary elections.
Speaking to the Junior Graphic in Accra, Mrs Afutu, however, emphasised that the exercise was only open to persons who have now attained the age of 18 or more.
She stressed that under no circumstances should a person who is not yet 18 years register to vote, and pointed out that even if one would turn 18 in two days while the registration was ongoing, that person was still not eligible to register.
Mrs Afutu said it was a criminal offence which could attract sanctions.
She explained that it was the civic responsibility of anyone who was 18 years and above to register and vote in order to be part of the decision-making process in the country.
“Deciding to vote also means one will be able to influence social and economic change in the various communities of the country and this can only be achieved if one takes part in the registration exercise,” Mrs Afutu added.
She noted that failing to register meant one wouldn’t be able to vote in the election which meant that person was allowing other people to decide for him or her.
“Senior high school students who are still in school can register at where their schools are located and when the Electoral Commission (EC) opens the voters register again for people to transfer their votes, they can do so,” she said.
On what one needed to carry along while going to register, she said one needed either of the following: a passport, driving licence or the National Identification Card as a form of identification.
If one has none of the above then two people who know him or her within the community can guarantee for that person, Mrs Afutu said.
She said young people who have attained the age to register can do so in their communities or at a place where they have lived for more than a year.
Mrs Afutu cautioned the youngsters not to allow themselves to be used as instruments to foment trouble because this was the time politicians could engage them to cause unrest.
She said they should always put Ghana first and promote peace in and around their communities during the registration exercise as well as before and after the election.
