News that a court in Takoradi has convicted 14 misguided citizens for multiple voter registrations is very refreshing. They face three months in jail if they are unable to afford the fine of about GHC 400 each. I wish though that they had been slapped with the maximum fine of GHC 6,000 and/or the maximum jail term of two years prescribed by the law.

The bigger question is what happens to the hundreds of multiple registrants nationwide, and those planning violate similar laws in December 2016?

Like Dr. Akwetey's IDEG, I believe exacting the highest penalty for electoral offences, including all forms of cheating and prohibited acts of vandalism at the polls, is one sure way to discourage and end the impunity. I am talking about the impunity that is sometimes sanctioned by nation-wrecker politicians for whom elections are a "do or die affair" for all but themselves and the families they will ship abroad in December.

A former MP, former Mayor and his misguided aide also recently paid paltry fines to escape jail for destroying electoral materials. I hope members of the governing party, especially so called big men caught in similar offences will equally be prosecuted and speedily.

I take solace in the fact that convictions for almost all electoral offences attract an automatic ban from being registered as a voter and from voting for five years.

Let the laws be party blind, social status blind and let's implement them to the full to sanitize the electioneering and election processes to keep Ghana safe.