Voters’ Registration: Everyone Will Be Safe – A/R Minister Assures

The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah says security agencies in the Region will ensure the safety of the people should the Electoral Commission (EC) give the green light for the compilation of the new voters’ register.

The Commission undertook a pilot registration in the region on Tuesday as part of its preparation towards the exercise.

While responding to a question at a news conference in Kumasi, Mr. Osei Mensah, said the Security Council will play its role in safeguarding the lives of residents.

“With the COVID-19 measures for which the EC is supposed to use in ensuring that there’ll be social distancing, wearing of masks, etc, if they call on the Regional Coordinating Council, we’ll give them the needed support. Besides that, before they do anything, they write to the security agencies. So definitely they are going to use the security agencies beca8use, during elections, neutrality is very important,” he noted.

“As soon as the EC comes out with modalities as to how they are going to organise the registration process, then we would also meet as a council and take decisions within the general framework that will be given by the Electoral Commission. What I can assure everybody is that everyone will be safe and secure within the region,” he assured.

EC’s plan for the voters’ registration

The Electoral Commission has scheduled to begin to compile the new electoral roll later this month ahead of the general elections in December.

Outlining its plan for the exercise in a statement, the Commission says it will be maintaining its cluster method for the upcoming exercise although the time spent in each cluster is expected to reduce.

Each registration team will work for six days in each phase within a cluster, a reduction from the initial 10 days outlined for the registration exercise which was postponed from April 18 because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The mop-up exercise has also reduced from five to three days.

The registration exercise will take place at all the 33,367 polling stations, which will serve as registration centres nationwide.

The registration period will have five phases with each Registration Team working for a period of six (6) days in each phase within the cluster.

There will be a day set aside, “to assemble and prepare the materials for the next phase,” according to the EC.

All eligible voters will be given instant voter ID cards when they register, except in cases where applications have been challenged.

---citinewsroom