SMS voter verification goes live – EC

On September 17, 2020, 1:56 PM

Voters can verify their registration details on their phone via a Short Message Service (SMS).

This has been made possible by the Electoral Commission (EC) which has introduced the SMS platform expected to be operational on Friday, September 18.

People who have accessed the service before the date it goes live would have their details sent to them once the service is activated on the announced date.

The EC has admonished voters to use the platform during the voter exhibition exercise slated scheduled for September 18 to September 25.

To access the service, voters can text their Voter ID Card Number to the Short Code 1422.

The voter exhibition exercise would help the EC to tie all loose ends and also grant access to political parties to know the number of valid registrants on the register in every constituency.

The process would include correction of details, replacement of unclear photographs, verification of polling station details and a chance to “object to the inclusion of unqualified names in the register on grounds such as the registration of minors and non- Ghanaians”.

Voter register compilation

The EC had highlighted the need for the new voters’ register based on several factors which included the need to replace the outmoded biometric machines and cleaning of the register deemed bloated.

The EC further argued that there were ineligible persons on the register that needed to be expunged.

The EC said the new system would have a facial recognition feature, non-existent with the previous data compiled in 2012.

Several Ghanaians raised concerns about the cost and repetitive registration with the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) indicating that there was no need for a new voter roll.

Prior to the latest one, Ghana upgraded to a biometric voter register in 2012 which recorded about 14.3 million voters.

There have been previous registers compiled for the country in 2000, 1996 and 1992.

These registers were discarded due to population increase and technological advancement.

Ghana’s first voter ID in 1992 had no picture. Black and white photo IDs were introduced in 1996 and later coloured photo IDs in 2000.

After 12 years, Ghana compiled its first biometric register in 2012. Some eight years later, it has been overtaken with a register that will have facial recognition features.

Story By David Apinga