The Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana has recalled ballot papers for the Western and Eastern Regions following an incident involving a defaced ballot paper found outside a printing house.
This decision has led to the rescheduling of special voting in these regions to Thursday, December 5. At an emergency press briefing on Sunday, December 1, EC Chairperson Jean Mensa explained the move was necessary to uphold the integrity of the 2024 election, despite the issue being limited to a single defaced paper.
Mrs. Mensa clarified that reprinting the entire batch was essential to maintaining public confidence in the electoral process.
“It has not been an easy decision to recall a ballot simply because a defaced ballot paper has been taken out of the printing press. But we are of the view that this is important to guarantee and ensure the integrity of the elections,” she stated.
To address the issue, the EC has engaged three printing houses—Buck Press, Acts Commercial, and Innolink—to reprint the ballots with enhanced security features, including revised serial numbers and new security elements.
While special voting for the rest of the country proceeds as scheduled on Monday, December 2, voters in the affected regions, including security personnel, media practitioners, and election officials, will cast their ballots three days later.
Mrs. Mensa appealed to voters in these regions for understanding, emphasizing that the decision was made in the best interest of ensuring credible elections.
“Our sole objective as a Commission is to ensure the integrity of the election in both regions,” she reiterated.
The EC has collaborated with political parties and security agencies to bolster the reprinting process.
Mrs. Mensa thanked the political parties for their cooperation and highlighted the consensus reached during an Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting.
“We call on all citizens to support us in our effort to guarantee the integrity of the 2024 election,” she said, assuring the public of timely updates and the Commission’s dedication to upholding Ghana’s democratic principles.
