EC to test biometric verification devices Nov. 3 and 4

As part of its preparations for December's Presidential and Parliamentary elections, the Electoral Commission will, on November 3 and 4, conduct testing of its biometric verification devices in selected polling stations across the country.

The Commission tells Joy News these verification devices will be used during the December elections to verify the identity of voters.

Before ballot papers are issued to voters, their identities will first be verified "biometrically". Thumbprints of voters will be captured by the verification devices and cross-checked against prints collected during the biometric registration exercise.

This is to establish whether a voter has indeed been captured on the voters' register. Apart from the introduction of the verification device, the EC says it will also make use of the name reference list which indicates specific locations of voters on the register eliminating the task of flipping through the entire register to find a voter.

These measures are geared towards fast-tracking the voting process, according to the EC. Though printing of election posters are underway, printing of ballot papers have not started. According to Christian Owusu Parry, training of election officials will begin November 17 to prepare them for the task ahead. However, one issue is of major concern to the EC.

Since this is the country's first biometric elections, the EC is coming up with a short drama that will highlight the voting process so voters can acquaint themselves with the enhanced voting procedure.