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Voters’ registration exercise begins smoothly in Mampong

Smooth and peaceful registration of voters and issuance of new voters’ identification cards and compilation of new voters’ register began in the Mampong Constituency of the Ashanti Region on Tuesday, 30th June 2020.

Date Created : 7/7/2020 7:59:51 AM : Story Author : Emmanuel Akwasi-Wiafe-Boateng/Ghanadistricts.com

The exercise is expected to end in August 2020 throughout the country. The Mampong Constituency covers the entire Mampong Municipality.

The registration exercise by the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana to compile entirely new voters register for 2020 general Elections and other future elections which started on Tuesday, June 30, 2020, is to afford Ghanaians, particularly those who have reached the mandatory voting age of 18 years and above and of sound mind, the right to register and participate in elections in the country.

Consequently, the new register and the new voters' ID Cards thus replaced the existing voter register and the Voters ID cards. The old Voters Register and the Voters ID Cards become invalid and cannot be used for any elections in the country.

With the CI 126, a person must provide any of the following documents as proof of eligibility to be registered: the National Identification Card issued by NIA, a valid Ghanaian Passport or present 2 persons who have registered and issued with the New Voters ID Card to vouch or serve as guarantors.

The registration exercise is being done in phases, Phase One up to Phase Five under a cluster system with each taking 5days.

According to the Director of the Electoral Commission at Mampong, Mr. Kwabena Karikari, the electoral areas in the Mampong Constituency have been clustered into Phase One Batch One and Two, up to Phase Five. He pointed out that the registration would be done in at least 27 polling centres under each Phase.

The Phase One batch one covers 14 polling centres and the registration would be done for 5 days from 30th June to 5th July 2020, while Batch 2 of Phase One would also take 5 days spanning from 6th July to 11th July 2020. Each of the other Phases will also take 5 days to complete the exercise.

Phase Two is expected to start on 12th July through to 17th July 2020, with Phase Three continuing from 18th to 23rd July 2020. Phase Four is planned to start from 25th July to 30th July 2020 while Phase Five continues on 31st July through to 5th August 2020. 6th August 2020 is expected to be used for resting as Resting Day while Mop-Up is expected to follow from 7th August to 12th August 2020.

In all, 38 days is expected to be used for the entire registration exercise.

It is anticipated that close to 68,000 people would be registered during the period in the Mampong Constituency.

Visits to some centers which fall within the Phase One where the exercise commenced indicated that the Registration Exercise started and has continued on a very good note with peace across the registration centers.

It was observed during Day One and Two of the Registration Exercise that Social Distancing and wearing of nose masks, use of Thermometer gun to check temperatures of registrants, wiping of the registration machines with rub as well as ensuring that the people use alcohol-based sanitizers to rub their hands before leaving the place were strictly enforced and adhered to as a way of ensuring the adherence of the safety protocols of the Covid-19.

The police and security presence to ensure that people comply with the safety protocols of Covid-19 as well as ensure peace and order, the protection of the people who want to register, the EC officials, their machines, and materials were high and commendable.

Political Party representatives or agents were also there to monitor and observe the process to see to it that the exercise was done in accordance with the rules and regulations governing it.

The comportment of the registrants and the high level of competency of the EC officials which improved day by day ensured that every eligible person who had patiently joined the long queue was well attended to and get registered.

Over 3,017 voters had registered as at Day 2 of the Registration Exercise.

There was a mixed reaction from the registrants. Some said the exercise was slow and called for more registration officers. They said the registration Officers should at least be two or three in each center to speed up the registration process.

Some others said the exercise was smooth and said the Registration Officers took time to patiently take their particulars and other detailed information and ensured that accurate data and information was captured and that accounts for the seemingly slow nature of the exercise.

Others also said they spent a few minutes at the centers and that there was not much delay in the registration process.

Some also said the exercise had started and continued on a bright note. They expressed the hope that if it continues like that then people who are interested and ready to register can easily do so within the stipulated period.