High number of voter ID applicants from border regions being challenged-EC

The highest number of applicants whose eligibility to hold a Ghanaian voter identification card are being challenged are from the country’s border regions, the Electoral Commission has said. 

The EC says a high number of applicants from the Oti, Volta and Western regions have had their qualification to acquire the country’s voter identification card questioned.

While 0.5% of applicants had their right to have Ghana’s voter ID card challenged in the Oti Region, the Volta Region has 0.39% of applicants, had their background questioned.

In the Western Region, O.11 % of the applicants have been challenged to justify why they are entitled to Ghana’s voter ID.

A Deputy Chairperson of the EC, who announced the figures at a press conference in Accra said it would be interesting to look into why the Ahafo Region, which was not a border town, had recorded 0.42% eligibility challenges.

The Ashanti Region, which has registered the second-highest number of voters, 0.11% of them have had their qualification challenged.

Meanwhile, the Greater Accra Region has registered the highest number of voters in the ongoing registration exercise with a total of 929, 366.

More than 4.4 million Ghanaians have registered in the ongoing voter registration exercise as the country prepares for the 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections.

Out of the 4, 445, 346, voters registered nationwide, the Greater Accra Region leads the pack with 20.9% followed by Ashanti Region, 18.4%; the Eastern Region, 9.5%  and the Central Region, 9.4%. The North-East Region has the least number of registered voters at 1.7%

Dr Asare said, “If the current trend we are witnessing continuous, it means the Greater Accra Region alone will constitute more than 20% registered voters in the country.”

Below is a breakdown of the number of applicants registered across the country.

Apart from taking the lead in terms of registered voters, the Greater Region also leads with the number of applicants whose eligibility are being challenged.

At least 1,391 people have had their right to acquire the voter ID challenged in the region, forcing the Electoral Commission to investigate the claims.

Dr Asare also pointed out that there were a high number of applicants in border regions that were being challenged.