EC Defends Publication Of Voters Register

The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Mensa, has justified the decision to make the electoral roll public.

She insists that the Commission’s actions are backed by the law.

“Our systems are very secure and for the register that was put out, we are enjoined by law to publish the voters’ register,” Mrs Mensa said at a training workshop for journalists on Tuesday, November 24, 2020.

“C.I. 127 requires that the provisional voter register is published on our website. That same law states that the final register is published in a manner for which the Commission deems fit.”

Mrs Mensa also said the publishing of the register was to ensure “transparency and openness.”

The commission published the roll on its website via Google Drive prompting concerns over privacy and data security.

The list published contained the names, voter identification numbers, ages and genders of persons registered to vote.

The list of voters was eventually pulled down but only temporarily, according to Mrs Mensa.

She said it will be re-published after the system has been embedded with enhanced security measures.

“[Our] IT [team] was called to include and introduce more systems to it to make it more functional. We intend to upload it in the next few days,” she noted.

---citinewsroom