The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Mensa, has clarified that the Commission is not responsible for the deployment of military personnel to polling stations.
Her remarks come after media reports surfaced that military personnel had been spotted at polling stations, including the Weija ITS polling station, despite earlier assurances that security forces would not be stationed at voting centres.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, December 7, Madam Mensa emphasised that the responsibility for security at polling stations does not fall under the mandate of the Commission.
“Our primary mandate is to ensure the conduct of fair and transparent elections.
“In terms of security, we have no hand in it and we do not make security arrangements,” she added.
This clarification aims to address public concerns and distinguish the roles of the EC and security agencies in the election process.
Jean Mensa urged stakeholders to focus on their respective responsibilities to ensure a smooth electoral process.
She assured the public of the Commission’s commitment to upholding democratic values and delivering credible election results.
Voting is currently underway across Ghana as citizens in all 276 constituencies head to the polls to elect a president and Members of Parliament to manage the affairs of the country for the next four years.
Over 18.7 million Ghanaians are expected to participate in today’s exercise.
Out of a total of 18, 772,795 valid voters, 9,690,173 are females, while 9,082,622 are males.
The data also revealed that 708,282 new voters have been added to the electoral roll for the December elections.
Additionally, there are 332,110 transferred voters, 2,167 proxy voters, 32,974 applicants on the exceptions list, and 26,798 applicants on the multiples list.
The polls will be held across more than 40,000 polling stations, from 0700 to 1700 hours.