The Electoral Commission (EC) has announced plans to destroy defective ballot papers meant for the Volta and Ahafo Regions after discrepancies in their serialisation were discovered.
This decision has prompted the reprinting of new ballots to ensure the integrity of the electoral process ahead of the December 7, 2024, general elections.
The announcement was made during the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting held on Friday, November 15.
In a statement released on Saturday, November 16, the EC assured the public that representatives from various political parties and stakeholders would be present to oversee the destruction of the faulty ballot papers.
A Destruction Certificate will also be issued and signed by all observers to maintain transparency and accountability in the process.
The EC reiterated its commitment to conducting free, fair, and credible elections, emphasizing that such measures are necessary to uphold public trust in the electoral system.
“The re-printing of the ballot papers for Ahafo and Volta Regions will be undertaken by Buck Press and Acts Commercials respectively. As has always been the case, the affected ballot papers will be shredded and incinerated (burned). Both activities will be witnessed by Agents of the Political Parties and a Destruction Certificate will be issued and signed by them.”
The EC indicated that the automated system designed to ensure precise serial numbers had deficiencies, prompting the Printing House to implement a manual process to address these shortcomings.
Nevertheless, the Commission asserted that the manual system employed by the Printing House was infallible and could not be depended upon to deliver an accurate serialization of the ballots
“Upon further assessment, the Commission decided that the manual system was not fool-proof and could therefore not be relied upon to produce an accurate serialisation of the ballots. In light of the above, the Commission decided to reprint the ballot papers and informed the Political Parties at an Emergency IPAC Meeting on Friday, 15th November 2024.”
