Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the vice president, has urged Ghanaians who are eighteen years of age or older and do not possess a voter identity card to participate in the 2023 limited voter registration exercise, which begins today, Tuesday, September 12.
According to Dr. Bawumia, this is everyone’s first chance to contribute to Ghana’s developing democracy.
The presidential candidate for the New Patriotic Party urged Ghanaians to visit the district offices of the Electoral Commission (EC) to register in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
“The right to vote starts with the responsibility of registering with the Electoral Commission (EC). I urge citizens [who] just turned 18 years old or adults of voting age who have not yet registered to take advantage of the registration exercise starting today, September 12, across all EC district offices and register.”
Veep Bawumia
EC Conducts its Limited Registration Exercise Amidst Suit
The Electoral Commission has announced that the 2023 Limited Voters Registration Exercise will commence today, Tuesday, September 12, at all 268 District Offices of the Electoral Commission.
The exercise will end on Monday, October 2.
According to a statement released by the Electoral Commission, all persons who have attained the age of 18 years since the last registration exercise and those who for one reason or another did not register in 2020, are required to visit the District Office where they reside with either their Ghana Card or their Ghana Passport to register and get their voter identification card.
Again, the Commission indicated that all eligible voters who do not possess any of the identification documents required for the exercise ae to present two persons, who are already registered voters to serve as guarantors for their registrations.
The Electoral Commission has also cautioned non-Ghanaian or foreign nationals and persons who are below the age of 18 years to refrain from engaging in the exercise as it is a criminal offence under the laws of Ghana in which offenders and perpetrators would be liable for prosecution if caught.
This is despite a current injunction application that certain private persons and opposition political parties have made against the EC, claiming that the conduct of the registration at the district offices will disenfranchise a significant number of young voters, especially those in rural areas.
The National Communications Officer for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has criticized as unacceptable the Supreme Court registrar’s decision to postpone the hearing on the party’s injunction lawsuit against the Electoral Commission until the Chief Justice provides or certifies a date.
The main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) together with the Convention People’s Party (CPP), All People’s Congress (APC), Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) and Great Consolidated People’s Party (GCPP) filed a suit against the Electoral Commission of Ghana in the Supreme Court to restrain the Electoral Commission to conduct its announced voter registration exercise.
According to the political parties, the decision was made as a result of the Electoral Commission’s illegitimate and arbitrary decision to limit its impending voter registration operation to its only district offices.
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