2020 polls: At least 6,000 voters disqualified as EC prepares to reveal more
The Electoral Commission (EC) is set to publish the names of registered voters who have been disqualified from participating in the 2020 polls.
The list comprises persons who flouted various regulations such as multiple registrations.
The EC said some 6, 080 people have been flagged for multiple registrations.
The number of people who committed other offences is yet to be revealed.
The names will be displayed as part of the voter exhibition exercise slated from Friday, September 18 to Friday, September 25.
“The persons on the exceptions list cannot vote for the upcoming election,” Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mrs Jean Mensa stated. “The Commission will also display the multiple list. This contains names of persons who have engaged in multiple registration and therefore cannot vote in the upcoming election”.
She made it known during a briefing ahead of the exhibition of the latest voter register.
Voter exhibition exercise
The EC will carry out the exercise as spelt out in the 2016 regulations governing elections.
The names of registered voters will be displayed accordingly for public inspection and correction.
It would take place at simultaneously at all 33, 367 registration centres across the country from 7am to 6pm including Saturdays and Sundays.
Mrs Mensa has decried the low turnout in previous exhibition exercises and encouraged all voters to visit their centres to verify the accuracy of the data captured and have corrections effected if any errors are detected.
Physical copies of the 2020 voter register will be published at all the centres to facilitate the process.
Voters can also verify their registration details on their phone via a Short Message Service (SMS) introduced by the EC to be operational on from Friday.
To access the service, voters can text their Voter ID Card Number to the Short Code 1422 at a cost of 30 pesewas.
The EC has also deployed 5000 biometric machines to selected centres to be used for verification during the exhibition.
The process will also afford the EC the opportunity to pilot the devices ahead of the December presidential and parliamentary polls.
A total of 73,107 exhibition officers will be deployed comprising of one COVID-19 ambassador assigned to each centre to enforce protocols.
In collaboration with the Supreme Court, the EC have implemented District Registration Review Processes who are with District Magistrates to address complaints and objections raised during the excesses.
The magistrate are expected to send reports in writing to the EC who is mandated to implement the recommendations within 14 days.
All existing COVID-19 protocols such as wearing of masks, social distancing, regular cleaning of equipment, washing of hands and hand sanitizing will be in place.