The Electoral Commission (EC) has reportedly exceeded its target for the recent limited voter registration exercise by over 100,000 registrants. Initially, the EC aimed to register 623,000 new voters during the 23-day exercise.

However, provisional figures as of the penultimate day showed nearly 750,000 registrations, with the final tally expected to be even higher.

Despite this success, the status of approximately 13,000 registrants is currently under review as the EC investigates claims of electoral rule violations during the exercise.

In an interview on Joy News' Pulse show, Director of Electoral Services Dr. Serebour Quaicoe stated that the EC would decide on potential prosecutions after the investigation is complete.

“The target was 623,000, so we have exceeded that by almost 100,000,” Dr Quaicoe said.

He said that not that the figures were impressive but the qualities of the names. The party themselves are fighting over the registration of minors, foreigners, and the rest, meaning that we have a lot of work to do, to screen the register.”

 Dr. Quaicoe explained that over 12,000 registrants are under investigation following challenges based on regulations, such as claims that they were under 18, not Ghanaians, or did not reside in the districts they registered in.

 “They have started sitting on them, so we hoping that, probably by next week they should have finished, even some of the districts may finish today or tomorrow.

He emphasised the importance of ensuring only eligible voters are included. “But I am thinking that if the person doesn't produce evidence that he’s 18 years old, why should you vote?

 “The parties will end up accusing us that we don’t do a good job..."

Dr. Quaicoe clarified that the committee's role is to determine the eligibility of the challenged registrants. The EC will then decide whether to prosecute those found in violation of the law.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has called for a fair and transparent investigation process for the 13,000 applicants accused of electoral violations. Deputy General Secretary Mustapha Gbande stated, “ If there such cases, I believe that, that is why the commission has the mandate to clean up the register. And so that should be done only in a manner that is credible and transparent so that they don't end up deleting even people who are not minors or foreigners.

“That is the only challenge political parties face our parliamentary candidates to do busing because virtually, the economy's people don't have money, and they cannot travel the distance. “

“So parliamentary candidates of all political parties were involved and engaged in moving the speaker said we're not we did minors would have occasion anyway. That is why we have a window and the Electoral Commission is the gatekeeper. I'm just saying that we should do it in a manner that does not end up removing other people who they're qualified. Their names cannot be found.” He added  

Mr Gbande referenced a similar issue in 2020, where non-minors and non-foreigners were mistakenly removed from the register. He stressed the need for a process that involves all political parties to ensure fairness.

In contrast, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) fully supports the EC’s efforts to cleanse the voters’ register of illegal names. NPP's Director of Research and Elections, Evans Nimako, stated, “Some of the challenges we encountered in this exercise have to do with people who are not eligible.

“Trying to get their names on to the electoral roll, this the main reason why the New Patriotic Party supported the EC to lay a new C.I., that will ensure that people who are eligible to register who identify themselves by the use of the Ghana card, strangely and interestingly, the NDC said no.

Mr Nimako added, “And so we recorded over 12,000 people who are being challenged as a result of either being a minor or being non-Ghanaian and if we had agreed and supported the EC to have come up with a new C.I. that would have used the Ghana card as a means of identification, all these challenges would have been a thing of the far past, I think way forward must ask stakeholders ensure that we comply with the rules of the game,” he added