Legal Practitioner, Samson Lardy Anyenini has called out the Electoral Commission (EC) for disallowing persons without nose masks from voting in today’s Special Voting exercise.

He has described the incident as constitutionally wrong, as there is no law barring qualified Ghanaians voters without face masks from exercising their franchise.

“It’s not our views or opinions about who can vote and what can happen to them if they try to vote, but it is what the Constitution, which guides all of us, including the Electoral Commission are bound to.

The Constitutional provision in Article 42 is that once you’re a Ghanaian of 18 years or above, and of sound mind, you have the right to vote and to be registered as a voter for the purposes of voting,” he told Joy News.

Security personnel are reported to have turned away voters, including 3 security officials, for non-adherence to Covid-19 protocols

But Mr. Anyenini submits that anyone whose name has been registered in the Special Voters List prior to today, consistent with the Public Elections Regulations 2020, C.I 124, except in contrast of another law, is entitled to cast a vote.

“The law that regulates how we go about voting, which is C.I. 127, says in Regulation 29 that you must report to the polling station at 7:00 am or any time between 7:00 am and 5:00 pm, after which you shall be disallowed from voting.

“What it means, therefore, is that while you have the constitutional right to vote, and you have been so registered to vote, with your name in the voters’ register, you must still comply with the subsidiary law on how to go about voting,” he noted.

He urged the Electoral Commission and the State to provide nose masks for persons who arrive as the voting centres without one, rather than denying them the right to vote.

The Special Voting exercise, which is taking place at 311 designated voting centres located in all the 275 constituencies, is for people with special election day assignments.

According to the EC, a total of 109,577 voters from 12 institutions are expected to cast their ballots today.