Don’t shift poll closing time from 5pm to 3pm – Majority leader tells EC

The Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has urged the Electoral Commission (EC) to stick to the 5 pm polling closure during general elections to avoid disenfranchising eligible voters.

This comes in response to the EC Chairperson, Jean Mensa’s proposal to shift the poll closing time from 5 pm to 3 pm, citing the aim of ensuring a transparent and orderly vote collation process in daylight.

However, during deliberations on the 2024 budget approval for the Electoral Commission, Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu insisted on maintaining the 5 pm schedule.

“The attempt to reduce voting time from 5 pm to 3 pm again we should interrogate it. I believe it is too early for the EC to do it. On Tuesday, when I went to vote, the materials had not been assembled yet even though I got there at 8:15, I had to stay until 9:20 to start voting, already two hours wasted. We didn’t have to bring the conclusion from 5 pm to 3 pm. Then the voters would have lost about four hours…So let’s all stick to the 5 pm of voting,” he said.

The Member of Parliament for Buem, Kofi Adams on his part said the failure of the EC to heed expert and stakeholder advice is to blame for the challenges experienced in the District Level Elections.