The Electoral Commission has addressed the New Democratic Congress (NDC) request for serial numbers of Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits currently deployed in the field for the limited voter registration exercise.
The EC through a press statement noted that the integrity and security of Ghana’s electoral processes are paramount indicating that each BVR kit, as a critical component of this process, is assigned a unique serial number.
As such, the EC stated that this number plays a crucial role in the operation of these devices, particularly in the generation of activation codes essential for their functionality as well as tracking their location and movement.
“Releasing these serial numbers to any external parties, including political entities, poses a substantial risk to the security and integrity of our registration processes. That is why this has never been done since the biometric voting system was introduced in Ghana”.
Electoral Commission
Furthermore, the EC indicated the serial numbers are integral to the security framework of the BVR kits, emphasizing that disclosure of these numbers could potentially allow unauthorized access to the devices, thereby compromising the integrity of the voter registration process.
The EC also noted that knowledge of the serial numbers could enable targeted attacks on specific BVR kits located in certain parts of the country, thereby causing chaos, political conflict, and operational challenges.
Moreover, the EC disclosed that the serial numbers could be used to facilitate fraudulent activities, including phishing attacks, where a criminal with the serial number can trick EC personnel into believing they are registration officials, potentially leading to unauthorized disclosures and access to sensitive information.
The Commission further sustained that it maintains a structured protocol for the activation and operation of BVR Kits, designed to ensure that all devices are used solely for their intended purpose and by authorized personnel only.
As such, the EC indicated that disclosing serial numbers disrupts this protocol and endangers the operational integrity of our electoral system.
“Given the above potential risks that disclosing serial numbers of BVR kits could pose, it is pertinent for stakeholders to address their minds to Section 7, Subsection 1(j) of the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989), which provides in part as follows: ‘Information is exempt from disclosure where the information contains matters which if disclosed can reasonably be expected to…endanger…a system including computer and communication systems for which security is reasonably required.’”
Electoral Commission
Ensuring Transparency And Accountability
Moreover, the Electoral Commission stated that while disclosure of serial numbers of BVRs has never been done, it is essential for the general public to recognize that there are measures of transparency and accountability that characterize its registration process.
As such, the Commission noted that all Voter Registration Centers are officially gazetted, and all political parties and other stakeholders have access to this information, allowing them to track accurately and transparently registered voters from each registration center.
The EC thus emphasized that there can be no voter registration data added to the voter register from any location that is not on the list of gazetted registration centers.
Furthermore, the Commission noted that political parties have polling agents present at all Registration Centres, ensuring direct oversight of the registration processes.
The Commission also stated that it provides “start-of-day” and “end-of-day” reports detailing the number of persons registered at each registration center.
Moreover, the EC stressed that all political parties receive a copy of the provisional register before the Voters Register Exhibition, to enable them to scrutinize the Provisional Register and to identify any issues that they want to raise during the Exhibition.
As such, the EC specified that all political parties receive a copy of the final register and can still raise any issues they have with the Commission.
“All Political Parties are actively involved in the District Registration Review Committees (DRRC) established in each district, to examine challenges related to the registration of voters in the district. All Political Parties participate in the DRRC process, further ensuring fairness and transparencyAs an added layer of transparency and accountability, all Political Parties form part of the Adjudication Committee established to deal with multiple registrations which the Biometric system flags after the Voter Registration Exercise”.
Electoral Commission
The EC emphasized that these measures underscore the transparency of the ongoing Limited Voters Registration exercise, maintaining that the Commission has nothing to hide.
The EC therefore noted that the demand for serial numbers of BVRs, if granted, could pose major risks to the security and integrity of our electoral system and operations.
As such, the Commission noted that the prevention of such risks by declining the NDC’s request far outweighs any concerns and interests of individual stakeholders.
The Commission indicated that it has the mandate to conduct elections independently, and it has demonstrated its capacity to do so effectively and impartially. The Commission urged all political parties to cooperate with it to administer the electoral processes without undue interference.
