The limited voter registration exercise by the Electoral Commission (EC) ended yesterday across all the 268 district offices of the commission across the country.
The exercise afforded Ghanaians who have attained the age of 18 years since the last registration in 2020, and others who are more than 18 years but for various reasons couldn’t register during the 2020 registration exercise an opportunity to do so.
The EC had initially targeted 1.35 million registrants but this was revised downwards to 700,000.
The Commission last Thursday announced it has registered some 673,276 new voters within 16 days from the beginning of the exercise, and was optimistic about meeting the 700,000 target.
Ashanti Region, it said, had the highest figure of 111,593, representing 16.6 per cent, while the Savannah Region had the lowest count of 16, 045, representing 2.4 per cent.
Other regional figures are; Western – 42,269 (6.3 per cent); Western North – 22,386 (3.3 per cent); Central 63,228 (9.4 per cent); Greater Accra – 90,099 (13.4 per cent); Volta – 43,099 (6.4 per cent and Oti – 18,468 (2.7 per cent); Eastern – 69,597 (10.3 per cent) and Bono – 23,365 (3.5 per cent).
The rest are; Ahafo ¬– 17,210 (2.6 per cent); Bono East – 28, 687 (4.3 per cent); Northern – 52,410 (7.8 per cent); North – East 17,692 (2.6 per cent); Upper East – 33,778 (5 per cent) and Upper West – 23,350 (3.5 per cent).
“We will roll out another round of limited continuous registration in 2024 in our district offices and register people in the difficult-to-reach communities and selected electoral areas.
“We reiterate that it is not our intention to disenfranchise anyone,” Dr Eric Bossman Asare, the EC’s Deputy Commissioner for Corporate Affairs, stated in a news conference in Accra.
Meanwhile, the EC said the exercise which ended at 5:00 p.m. yesterday would not be extended.
“The public is informed that the Commission will not extend the Voters Registration Exercise.”
The Commission, however, assured the general public that arrangements had been made to ensure that eligible citizens who were in the queue on or before 5:00 p.m. yesterday are registered today, October 3, 2023.
“This arrangement will be extended only to eligible applicants in the queue at 5:00 p.m. yesterday (Monday), October 2, 2023,” a statement issued by the EC and signed by the Acting Head of Corporate Affairs, Mr Michael Boadu, has said.
It thanked the general public for the co-operation and support during the 21-day Voters Registration Exercise.
BY TIMES REPORTER
