673,276 voters registered in sixteen days – EC

The Electoral Commission (EC) has registered a total of 673,276 new voters in sixteen days after the start of the limited voters registration exercise in its district offices across the country. 

“We are happy to note that the number of registrations has gone up considerably, and we are currently averaging 50,000 registrations per day since last week and this is very remarkable.

“The Commission is within a striking distance of the targeted 700,000 persons to be registered in this exercise,” it said.

Dr. Bossman Asare, Deputy Commissioner in Charge of Electoral Services made the disclosure at a press briefing at the EC’s headquarters to update Ghanaians about the ongoing voters registration exercise.

The exercise which commenced on Tuesday, September 12 at all the 268 District offices of the EC is scheduled to end on October 2, 2023.

Dr. Asare also noted that the nationwide voter registration process was proceeding smoothly and on plan, and that the Commission had received no indications of material shortages from any of its centres.

He assured Ghanaians that ongoing exercise would not be the last before the 2024 general elections and that the EC would conduct another registration exercise in some selected electoral areas and difficult-to-reach localities before the polls.
“We want to also state emphatically that this is not going to be the last registration exercise before the general elections in 2024. We will roll out another round of continuous registration exercise in 2024 in our district offices and register people in difficult-to-reach areas in some selected areas” he said.

Dr Asare also gave a breakdown of the progress of the registration exercise with Ashanti region having the highest number of persons registered.
The Western Region recorded 42,269 representing 6.3 percent; Western North region recorded 22,386 representing 3.3 percent; Central region registered 63,228 representing 9.4 percent; Greater Accra region recorded 90,099 representing 13.4 percent; Volta region recorded 43,099 representing 6.4 percent and Oti region recorded 18,468 representing 2.7 percent.

The rest are Eastern region registered 69,597 representing 10.3 percent; Ashanti region registered 111,593 representing 16.6 percent; Bono region registered 23,365 representing 3.5 percent; Ahafo region registered 17,210 representing 2.6 percent and Bono East region registered 28,687 representing 4.3 percent.

The others are Savannah region recorded 16,045 representing 2.4 percent; Northern region registered 52,410 representing 7.8 percent; North East region recorded 17,692 representing 2.6 percent; Upper East region registered 33,778 representing 5 percent and Upper West region registered 23,350 representing 3.5 percent.

Dr Asare further assured that the Commission would continue to engage its officials in the regions to protect the rights of all eligible citizens who want to register.