Every eligible voter will be captured – Jean Mensa Assures

Every eligible Ghanaian who wishes to register to vote in the general election of 2024 has been assured in writing by the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Mensa, that they will not be denied the right to vote.

The Commission would Implement a Continuous Registration

She claimed that the commission had put the necessary safeguards in place to make sure that all qualified voters were noted in the poll book. “We have heard claims that the commission is attempting to prevent eligible voters from casting their ballots. This is untrue; we have no desire to deny the right to vote to any eligible person, stressed Mrs. Jean Mensa. The commission would implement a continuous registration exercise across the nation next year to make sure that all qualified individuals were registered, the EC Chairperson told the Daily Graphic. The EC began a limited voter registration drive on September 12 in an effort to register people who had turned 18 since the previous drive.

EC was trying to Deliberately keep some eligible people from taking part

People who have not previously registered with the commission have the chance to have their names added to the voter list during the 21-day period. Some members of the public and political parties expressed concern that the EC was trying to deliberately keep some eligible people from taking part in the registration process. Six days into the registration period, 182,931 people had signed up, according to Mrs. Mensa, who spoke at the Let the Citizens Know series on September 18th. She claimed that the commission had the citizens’ best interests in mind and would not interfere with their ability to exercise their constitutional right to vote. “We do not intend to deny voting rights to eligible citizens. To register them all is in our best interests, said Mrs. Mensa.

EC Chairperson’s Declaration

To register them all is in our best interests, said Mrs. Mensa. The EC chairperson declared that the commission would not lower the standards because, despite all odds, it was able to register 17,027,000 voters in 2020. She responded to questions about the EC’s decision to use its 268 offices for the limited registration exercise by stating that the current exercise was merely an update of the register. It’s not a full registration, though. It’s important to remember that there will be other registration drives before the elections in 2024.

Mrs. Jean Mensa reaffirmed, “In line with our plans to promote an inclusive participatory registration process, we plan to institute continuous registration in all of our district offices nationwide in 2024 for a significant amount of time. The EC chair also said that in addition to the continuous registration effort, the commission would identify areas that were challenging to access and conduct a mop-up registration effort there.

The Chairperson Pleaded for Public Assistance

We are confident that we will have all eligible voters on board before the 2024 general election thanks to the long-term continuous registration in all of our district offices and the limited mop-up exercise in hard-to-reach areas in 2024, she continued. The chairperson of the EC pleaded with the public to assist the commission in addressing the issue of ineligible people abusing the registration system. In addition, Mrs. Mensa stated that the commission would “do everything in our power to ensure that ineligible voters do not get on the register” even as efforts were made to register all qualified people.

No Minors

She called on persons who were planning to get minors on the register to desist from the act.

“We encourage citizens who observe these illegal practices to challenge them,” Mrs Jean Mensa urged

FAQ’s

What has Jean Mensa assured every eligible Ghanaian with regard to voting in the 2024 general election? Jean Mensa has assured every eligible Ghanaian who wishes to register to vote in the general election of 2024 that they will not be denied the right to vote.
What type of registration exercise will the EC implement across the nation next year? The EC will implement a continuous registration exercise across the nation next year to make sure that all qualified individuals are registered.
How does the EC plan to make sure that all qualified voters are noted in the poll book? The EC has put the necessary safeguards in place to make sure that all qualified voters are noted in the poll book.
How many people had signed up for the limited voter registration drive six days into the registration period? 182,931 people had signed up for the limited voter registration drive, according to Mrs. Mensa, six days into the registration period.
Will the EC lower their standards with regard to the registration process? The EC chairperson declared that the commission will not lower the standards because, despite all odds, it was able to register 17,027,000 voters in 2020.