In a sharp critique of Ghana’s electoral discourse, Bright Simons, Honorary Vice President of the IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, has criticised the recurring claim of a “bloated voters register,” which has historically sparked debates among political parties and electoral stakeholders.
The renowned civil activist, remarks, reflecting on over a decade of Ghana’s electoral history, highlighted a persistent cyclicality of unsubstantiated claims that, according to him, confound reason and perpetuate wasteful practices.
He traced the origins of the “bloated register” argument back to the aftermath of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) loss to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2012 general elections.
He noted that in the wake of that defeat, the NPP launched the “Let My Vote Count Alliance” (LMVCA) in January 2013, premised on the claim that the voters register was flawed and disproportionately affected their electoral chances.
“When LMVCA was launched, the total number of voters on the register used for the 2012 elections was just above 14 million. This was 51% of the total population.
“This was roughly 92% of the adult population of 18 years & above. Claiming that the register was bloated in specific ways that go against its electoral interests, the NPP launched a massive campaign for 4 years to have a new register compiled. The EC refused”.
Bright Simons,Honorary Vice President of IMANI Centre for Policy and Education
Bright Simons noted that nevertheless, the NPP went on to win a resounding first-round victory in the 2016 elections using the same register they had vehemently criticized.
According to him, by the time the party was sworn into office in 2017, the register had grown to 15.7 million voters, or 56% of the total population and 95% of adults above 18 years.
Yet, the party remained insistent on the need for a new register, a position they pursued when a new EC leadership took charge.
The Cost of Recompilation and the 2020 Elections
Bright Simons further pointed out that despite IMANI and other civil society organizations protesting the planned overhaul, the EC proceeded to compile a new register at an estimated cost of $150 million.
He recounted that critics, including himself, argued that any alleged bloating in the old register was likely random, stemming from systemic issues such as poor civic records and the registration of minors—a challenge both major parties have been accused of facilitating.
Importantly, Bright Simons underscored IMANI’s contention, asserting that such bloated claims did not advantage any particular party and was effectively neutralized in competitive elections.
“In 2020, Ghana went to the polls with a new register. The NPP lost half its winning margin from 2020 and about 32 seats in Parliament. More intriguingly, the newly compiled register did not show a marked drop in size.
“It had roughly 17 million voters, or 55% of the total population and about 94% of the adult population 18 years and above. Literally nothing changed”.
Bright Simons,Honorary Vice President of IMANI Centre for Policy and Education
The Numbers Tell a Consistent Story
The IMANI’s Honorary Vice President’s critique becomes even more pointed when examining the aftermath of limited voter registration exercises ahead of the 2024 elections.
He indicated that the register has now expanded to 18.8 million voters, or 55% of the population and 96% of adults aged 18 and above.
Bright Simons pointed out that despite these consistent ratios, the discourse on the register’s credibility persists, with the NDC, having secured its largest electoral victory since 1996 using the same register, now alleging that it is bloated.
“Given this history, I am bemused that it is the NDC that has now taken up the mantra that the register is ‘bloated’. How about we arrive at a point where data and analysis determine these kinds of things? Or do we keep going around in circles?”
Bright Simons,Honorary Vice President of IMANI Centre for Policy and Education
Structural Issues and the Role of ‘Procurepreneurs‘
For Bright Simons, the root of the problem lies in Ghana’s weak civic infrastructure, particularly poor maternal, newborn, and civic records.
These systemic flaws, he argued, lead to the registration of minors but do so in a manner that is inherently random and unlikely to skew election outcomes in favor of any party.
He warned against allowing such claims to justify further expensive interventions. “Let’s not give an excuse to some procurepreneurs at the EC to spend another $100 million,” he cautioned.
Bright Simons concluded with a call for Ghanaian political discourse to transcend cyclical rhetoric and embrace evidence-based analysis.
He underscored the futility of repeated voter register recompilations in addressing structural issues, urging stakeholders to focus on strengthening the country’s civic systems.
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