Director of Electoral Services at the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC), Dr Serebour Quaicoe has allayed the fears of voters whose voter identification (ID) numbers have been duplicated, explaining that such voters would be able to vote on election day if they are biometrically verified.
Voters with duplicate numbers have been left worried, fearing that they could be disenfranchised but Dr Quaicoe has assured them that the voter ID numbers have no effect on them on voting day.
However, he explained that the voter ID numbers will be changed for them given that the cards are also used for other purposes such bank transactions.
“I also want to establish that, but because of possible use of the ID card for other purposes [such as bank and mobile money ], for voting the duplicate ID numbers will not have any effect, because if you go there [voting centre], your biometrics will be scanned, your picture will appear, you will be verified biometrically and you will vote.
It has nothing to do with the ID card, but because people normally use the ID card for other purposes, that is why we decided to change,” he pointed out.
Dr Quaicoe also revealed that persons without ID cards can vote once they get biometrically verified and are proven to have duly registered.
“I want to explain again that, whether you have an ID card or not, on the 7th December, once you are duly registered, you can still vote,” he assured.
However he said that the commission was taking steps to replace the duplicate cards, such that every voter will have a unique voter ID number.
Dr Quaicoe denied allegations that new voters were being registered, explaining that the EC takes advantage of exhibition exercises to replace problematic cards.
Speaking on the concerns of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) with regards to voters not finding their names in the register, Dr Quaicoe maintained that: “These are normal things, when the parties change positions, they always come at the Electoral Commission. If you check the previous one, NPP was also doing the same thing so nothing has changed.”
Meanwhile the NDC has served notice that it will not accept the results of the upcoming general elections if their concerns about missing names and duplicate ID numbers are not adequately addressed.
