The Electoral Commission (EC) has addressed reports regarding the release timeline of the revised 2024 Provisional Voters Register (PVR), refuting claims by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) that the register would be made available within a week.
In an October 8 statement signed by Samuel Tettey, the EC’s Deputy Chairperson in charge of Operations, the Commission denied making any such commitment.
The EC stated: “For the records, the Chairperson of the EC indicated during the televised IPAC meeting that the Commission would provide the Political Parties with the revised PVR and upload it online within two (2) weeks or earlier.”
Following the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting on October 1, the NDC issued a statement claiming that it had accepted what it believed was the EC’s promise to release the updated version of the 2024 Provisional Voters Register to political parties within a week.
The NDC stated: “The Functional Executive Committee of the NDC has deliberated and decided to accept the EC’s promise to release to political parties, the corrected/updated version of the 2024 Provisional Voters Register for scrutiny within one week.”
In response, the EC clarified that its Chairperson, Jean Mensa, had actually informed political parties that the Commission would provide the revised register within two weeks or earlier, and nowhere did she promise a one-week timeline.
The EC reiterated: “Nowhere in her statement did the Chairperson indicate that the revised PVR would be made available within a week.”
The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Mensa, has reported substantial progress in resolving the issues flagged in the voter register. She acknowledged that while the register remains a work in progress and contains some minor inaccuracies, such errors are common in large-scale registration exercises.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC), upon reviewing the register, highlighted five key anomalies:
- Missing Names: The party identified that some registered voters’ names were missing from the list, which could potentially disenfranchise eligible voters.
- Misplaced on Lists: Qualified voters were incorrectly placed on the Exception List or Multiple List, which could prevent them from casting their votes on election day.
- Disqualified Individuals: Some individuals, disqualified due to multiple registrations or successful challenges, were still found on the Main Provisional Voters Register (PVR), raising concerns about its accuracy.
- Unauthorized Transfers: Voters were transferred from one polling station to another without their knowledge. Additionally, unresolved old transfers continued to appear on the register.
- Polling Station Changes: Voters were moved to different polling stations without their consent, leading to confusion and potential voter suppression.
The EC has admitted to errors related to the transfer of votes and is working to rectify the issues.
