Election 2024: EC enhances transparency as journalists witness ballot printing
The Electoral Commission (EC) has invited journalists to monitor the ballot printing process at three of the six designated printing facilities handling the presidential and parliamentary ballots for the December 7 polls.
The EC’s decision to allow journalists to witness the ballot printing is to enhance transparency and foster public trust in its operations.
Inolink Printing Limited, Buck Press, and Acts Commercial are the selected printing houses.
The Director of Electoral Services at the EC, Dr. Benjamin Bannor-Bio, noted that only parliamentary ballots are currently being printed, as the printing of presidential ballots has been on hold for ten days following the recent passing of Akua Donkor, the flagbearer for the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP).
READ ALSO: EC suspends printing of ballot papers following Akua Donkor’s death
He stressed that the printing process is open and collaborative, with political party representatives present at every stage to verify details, such as serial numbers and constituency-specific quantities.
“When we say transparency and accountability are in motion, we don’t just say it but we mean it. The Electoral Commission of Ghana is one of the few election management institutions in the sub-region that prints ballot papers in the country, and Buck Press is one of our major stakeholders when it comes to printing the ballot. For the 2024 general election, Buck Press is printing four regions; Ashanti Oti, Savanna and Central regions.
“We are here to let you know that printing ballots is not done in secrecy. We open up to the public for you to know that we are doing it together with the political party agents. At every level, these agents are there and they are observing to ensure that the right thing is done.
“They take notice of the serial numbers, they take notice of the quantities being printed for each constituency and we give them all these details,” he stated.
He added: “Apart from the electoral commission seal, they add their seal and take records of the same. So, in printing ballot papers, there is no secrecy, it’s so transparent.”