Ghana opens special voting for general poll

The Electoral Commission (EC) on Tuesday said more than 100,000 registered voters including election officials, security personnel, scribes, and all other persons discharging election duties on December 7, would participate in the special voting, Xinhua reported.

At the Trade Fair site special voting centre in the capital, there were personnel of Ghana military, police, immigration service, fire service, and the prisons service in the queues waiting to cast their ballots.

James Oppong Boanuh, the Ghana Police Inspector General (IGP), who also cast his ballot at the center, commended the EC for the "smooth process."

"The electoral officers are doing their work well, and I went through the system and it was so smooth. I urge everybody to come and cast their votes," said the IGP.

Although some security personnel could not get their names on the special voting list, Boanuh assured them that a special arrangement would be made for them to cast their ballots before embarking on their election duties on Monday.

"We are expecting 3,749 voters and that is how come we have six centers. Each center is hosting 625 voters. So far, I am very impressed. The arrangements that we have put in place are ensuring a smooth process," Kofi Frimpong, the district electoral officer, told Xinhua.

The EC provided handwashing stands and bottles of alcohol-based hand sanitizers for voters to clean their hands before and after casting their ballots under the Covid-19 prevention protocols.