The limited voter registration exer­cise by the Electoral Commission (EC) has ended effective today, Monday, October 2, across all the 268 district offices of the commission.

The exercise, which was meant for eligible Ghanaian voters, forms part of the EC’s preparations towards the conduct of the 2024 general elections.

Addressing the media during its launch, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Mrs Jean Mensa, on August 17, 2023, indicated that the registration exercise would "afford Ghana­ians who have attained the age of 18 years, since the last registration in 2020 and others who are more than 18 years, but for various reasons couldn’t register during the 2020 registration exercise an opportunity to do so".

Again, the EC had initially targeted 1.35 million registrants but this was revised downwards to 800,000.

But on Thursday, September 28, the Electoral Commission announced that it has registered some 673,276 new voters within 16 days from the beginning of the exercise, and was optimistic about meeting the new target.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra to give an update on the exercise, Dr Eric Bossman Asare, a Deputy Chairman in-charge of Corporate Services at the EC said, “The Commission is within a striking distance of the targeted 800,000 persons to be registered in this exercise”. 

Dr. Asare stated that the Ashanti Region had the highest figure of 111,593, representing 16.6 percent, while the Savannah Region had the lowest count of 16, 045, representing 2.4 percent. 

Other regional figures are; Western– 42,269 (6.3 per cent); Western North – 22,386 (3.3 per cent); Central 63,228 (9.4 per cent); Greater Accra – 90,099 (13.4 per cent); Volta 43,099 (6.4 percent and Oti – 18,468 (2.7 per cent); Eastern – 69,597 (10.3 per cent) and Bono – 23,365 (3.5 per cent). 

The rest are; Ahafo 17,210 (2.6 per cent); Bono East – 28, 687 (4.3 per cent); Northern – 52,410 (7.8 per cent); North – East 17,692 (2.6 per cent); Upper East – 33,778 (5 percent and Upper West – 23,350 (3.5 per cent). 

He was however quick to add that the Commission will conduct a continuous registration exercise across all its district offices in 2024 to allow people who were unable to register this year to do so. 

“We will roll out another round of limited continuous registration in 2024 in our district offices and register people in the difficult-to-reach communities and selected electoral areas. 

“We reiterate that it is not our intention to disenfranchise anyone,” he said.

Meanwhile, some political parties are calling on the Electoral Commission to extend the exercise.