NDC fearmongering over printing of ballot papers “unacceptable” – EC
The Electoral Commission (EC) has criticised the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for suggesting attempts to rig the 2020 elections by overprinting ballot papers.
The EC said the ballot papers for the December 2020 polls have not been printed in excess of requirements.
This follows allegations by the NDC that the election management body has printed beyond the extra 5% permissible allowance at the Assembly Press which is one of seven printing houses.
But the EC has maintained its neutrality and stressed that it was following due process.
The Electoral Commission said it was therefore having difficulties understanding “why the NDC would seek to cause fear and apprehension around a transparent and open process such as the printing of ballots”.
The commission believes the behaviour of the party “is unacceptable”.
The EC explained that it has been a standard practice for the Commission “to print ballot papers in excess of 5% to cater for instances such as spoilt ballots” at all the 38, 630 polling stations.
The release pointed to a similar instance since the 1992 elections and stressed that the procedure has not altered the policy.
“It is important to note that since 1992, ballot papers for both the Presidential and Parliamentary Elections are printed in booklets of 10, 25, 50 and 100 for all Polling Stations,” the EC noted.
In view of that polling stations that have, for example, 90 voters will be provided with a ballot booklet that contains hundred 100 ballots or two (2) booklets of 50 ballots each as a special booklet cannot be printed for that exact number of voters i.e. ninety 90 Voters.
This is because ballot papers are printed in booklets of 10, 25, 50 and 100.
“In the scenario above, a booklet cannot be printed for ninety voters. A booklet of hundred (100) ballots will be provided. After adding a contingency of five per cent (5%) to the ninety (90) voters, the number of ballots would increase to some ninety-five (95) ballots. However, since that Polling Station can only be provided with a booklet that contains hundred (100) ballots, there will be an excess of five (5) ballot papers.
The EC also addressed the concerns of providing serial numbers of the ballot sheets to political parties as well as the selection of Assembly Press for the printing job.
The EC said Assembly Press has printed ballot sheets since the inception of the Fourth Republic and the NDC need not harbour any concerns about breaches.
Below is the full statement: