Why the Electoral Commission Recalled Ballot Papers for Western and Eastern Regions
The Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana has decided to recall ballot papers for the Western and Eastern Regions after a defaced ballot paper was found. This has caused a delay in the special voting for these regions, which will now take place on Thursday, December 5.
Why All Ballots Were Recalled
At an emergency press briefing on December 1, EC Chairperson Jean Mensa explained the decision. She said some people questioned why the entire batch of ballots was recalled over one defaced paper. However, she emphasized that the EC wants to ensure the 2024 elections are completely fair and credible.
“The decision wasn’t easy, but it’s necessary to protect the integrity of the elections,” Mrs. Mensa said.
Improved Security for New Ballots
The EC has hired three printing companies—Buck Press, Acts Commercial, and Innolink—to reprint the ballots. The new ballots will have updated security features and revised serial numbers to make them different from the old ones.
Mrs. Mensa said the EC is working with security agencies and political parties to ensure tighter security during the printing process. “Political parties have promised to help protect the reprinting process,” she added.
Changes to Voting Dates
Special voting in other regions will go ahead on Monday, December 2, as planned. But voters in the Eastern and Western Regions, including security personnel, election officials, and media workers, will now vote on December 5.
Mrs. Mensa apologized to voters in these regions for the inconvenience, saying, “We’re doing this to make sure the elections in these regions are fair and credible.”
Collaboration and Assurance
Mrs. Mensa thanked political parties for supporting the decision. During a meeting with the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC), all sides agreed that reprinting the ballots was the best course of action.
She reassured Ghanaians that the EC is committed to protecting democracy and called on citizens to support their efforts. The reprinting process has already started, and the EC has promised to provide updates to keep the process transparent and trustworthy.