Journalists to be part of special voters – EC Boss


Journalist in Ghana will for the first time take part in the special voting process ahead of the 2016 general election. 

According to the Chairperson of the Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Charlotte Osei, journalist over the years were not put on the special voting list because it was not captured in the Constitutional Instrument (C.I.) which gives elections a legal backing. 

Security agencies and participants who are usually busy on voting days are made to cast their ballots few days before general elections in Ghana. 

Speaking on an Accra based radio FM on Saturday, Mrs. Osei said “you were not allowed because that is what is in the C.I. and the EC did not sit somewhere to create the C.I. it was with stakeholders. This time the media will be part of the special voting process.” She said

Adding a date will be set for media houses to register their personnel onto the special voting list. 


“There is a date where we will tell the stakeholders, all the parties who are entitled to special voting; security personnel etc. that by this date we must have the list because we must put you on the register for that polling station. For the media, there will be an accreditation process and when they finish, you will be included and then you can vote,” she added. 


Usually, staff of the Electoral Commission (EC), Security personnel, made up of the staff of the Police Service, Ghana Armed Forces, Prisons Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana National Fire Service who work on voting day, vote in the special exercise before the elections day.

Unfortunately, media personnel who have always been part of the special voting, are not part this year because of a legal requirement which could not be met by the media.


GBC