The Electoral Commission (EC) has announced that no polling station will exceed 750 voters during the upcoming 2024 general elections.
Dr. Serebuor Quaicoe, the Director of IT at the Commission, emphasized the importance of this decision, noting that in previous elections, some polling stations had over 2000 voters, leading to prolonged counting late into the night.
In an effort to streamline the counting process and minimize confusion, the Commission has implemented a new policy limiting each polling station to 750 voters.
This adjustment aims to expedite the counting process and ensure that election results are promptly and accurately reported.
“Our understanding and thinking is that most of the confusion occurs in the night and now that we have decided that no polling should have more than 750 voters, some time ago some used to have 2000. In 2020 the threshold was 749 and later to 750, no polling station will be more than that.
“Once we have been able to reduce the threshold we should finish on time,” he said during a seminar organised by the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG) in Accra on Friday, August 9.
Regarding the filing fees, Dr Serebour Quaicoe said that the presidential aspirants should be able to be in a position to pay.
He said the aspirants can mobilize the fees from their supporters if they cannot do it by themselves.
“Contesting an election is not an individual issue, if you don’t have the money you should be able to mobilize from your supporters.
“So if you are saying you want to be the president of Ghana and you not mobilizing people to pay 100,000 then how are you going to do the campaigning?” he said.
The commission recently announced the nomination fees for the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections.
The EC said that male presidential candidates must pay GH¢100,000, while female candidates and persons with disabilities will pay GH¢75,000.
“Candidates vying for the position of President will be required to make a payment of One Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢100,000.00) at the time of submitting their Nomination Forms. Payment shall be by Banker’s draft and addressed to the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission.
“Female Candidates and Persons with Disabilities are required to pay Seventy-Five Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢75,000),” part of the statement read.
