Missing names, ‘stone queues’, smooth process at Okaikwei North
Voting was successful at the Okaikwei North constituency in the Greater Accra Region.
No major incident has been recorded at the time when Citi News’ Jonas Nyabor filed this report however pockets of agitation and misunderstanding erupted at some polling stations visited within the Achimota electoral area.
A total of about 76,000 registered voters are expected to cast their ballot across all 106 polling stations in the constituency.
Voting started by 7.20am at the Victory Nursery school polling station A and B voters numbering over two hundred had queued to cast their ballot at the official opening of polls at 7am.
‘Early electorates’
Some electorates had reported to various polling stations within the constituency as early 7pm Tuesday night.
A man who gave his name as Alex said he reported to the polling station at 7.30pm on Tuesday night to avoid the long queue that characterizes the voting at the Achimota central market polling station.
‘Missing names’
Some electorates who visited the Abofu Presby School could not find their names in the voters’ register and were turned down and redirected to other polling stations.
Others who reported without their Voters’ ID card were allowed to vote after their biometric details were confirm in the electoral roll and duly verified by the biometric verification device.
‘Oldies, lactating mothers considered’
All polling stations visited within the constituency heeded the Electoral Commission’s (EC) appeal to give preferential treatment to the elderly, lactating mothers, persons with disability amongst other persons in marginalized groups.
‘Delays in commencement of poll’
At the Anumle basic school and the Solid Rock Chapel polling stations all in the Anumle electoral area, voting was delayed to 8.30am even though all materials had arrived at the polling stations before 7am.
EC officials said they were unable to start on time due to the absence of a lid to the ballot boxes brought to the polling stations.
It took more than a hour to have the district electoral officer return to the polling stations to provided the lids before polls start.
‘Presence of security personnel’
All polling stations had at least two security officers deployed to man them. The officers comprised those from the Fire Service and the Ghana Police Service.
‘Confusion over situation of ballot cubicles’
Position of ballot cubicles had been a major issue of concern for most polling agents across the constituency. The polling agents insist the cubicles must be positioned in way that allows for persons in the queue to witness the activity of anyone voting but not the person’s choice of candidate.
Consensus on the matter in the various polling stations in the constituency has been swift hence preventing delays in the voting process.
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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana