The Shama Police in the Western Region has arrested a young man for taking photos of his ballot paper at the Shama District Assembly forecourt, polling station B.

The yet-to-be-identified young man is currently in police custody pending investigation.

He is the third to be arrested in this election period, after two voters were arrested in the Krowor constituency for taking photos of their ballots after voting.

The Director of Elections at the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, had earlier warned that it is illegal for people to take pictures of their votes in the polling booth.

Dr. Quaicoe, in a press address, called for custodial sentences for voters arrested taking photos of their ballots, to serve as a further deterrent to others.

“The law is specific that a choice of balloting should be in secrecy, so the moment you take snapshots of thumbprints or the ballot paper, the law has been breached. We cannot take the law into our own hands. That is indiscipline,” he said.

However, private legal practitioner, Samson Lardy Anyenini, submits that the arrests lack constitutional backing.

According to him, the laws that govern electoral procedures in the country do not criminalise personal disclosure of a voter’s choice.

“There is no offence against a person who decides to waive his right to vote secrecy. It is rather the EC officers, who may be in offence when they fail to protect the voter’s right”.