Election 2024, a hot stuff?

Friends, let's take some lessons in abbreviations. Abbreviations are formed from the first letters of words or shortened versions of a word, and they are used as space savers. Example: Doctor, Dr.; Automated Teller Machine, ATM; Mister, Mr.; Reverend, Rev.

Abbreviations that can be pronounced are called acronyms. For example AIDS is an acronym, but HIV is an abbreviation. Periods should not be used for acronyms.

In mathematical units and measurement, add a space between the number and the abbreviation without periods. Example: 100 km, 20 ft, 10 kg. Words used with numbers can be written in either uppercase or lowercase with periods, example: A.M., a.m., P.M., p.m. But A.D. and B.C. must be written in uppercase with periods.

Use periods for lowercase abbreviations such as e.g. and i.e. When an abbreviation with periods ends a sentence, the period for the abbreviation is used as the period for the sentence.

Do not follow an abbreviation with a word that is included in the abbreviation, for example it is wrong to say ATM machine. This ends our lesson for today.

Oops, please hold on and let me pick this call. Aaah, it was a student from Biegya Junior High School. He wants me to give some lessons in social studies too. Folks, kindly help me to choose a topic. Yes, I think a lesson on rigging an election will not be a bad idea.

Rigging an election is trying to dishonestly change the outcome of the electoral process.

Vote rigging is one dimension of election irregularities. In its narrower aspects, vote rigging points to irregularities in the polling, counting, tallying and announcement of election results.

Generally it includes fraud by multiple voting, voting by underage persons, adding ballots marked by persons who are not voting legally, interference with boxes, exclusion of valid ballots by counting officials, denying marginalised voters the right to vote, falsification of results sheet or deliberate fraud in tabulating results.

There are more: intimidation, attacks on voters and polling agents, false information about polling centres, manipulation of voting devices, bribing of electoral officers and polling agents, etc.

I hope this helps my young friend from Biegya JHS. Kikikikikiki, now, it is time to "biegya". Kai, this world no sweet koraa oo. People are asking why Yaanom are not doing any serious campaigning, and others think they are banking all their hopes on electoral ways and means.

But it is not all the time that attempts to rig an election becomes successful. To counter such acts, electoral experts recommend that oppositionists simply have to keep knocking against the doors of power and electoral bodies to address election concerns until the doors crack, and I think the Eye Zu people are not doing badly at all in this direction.

But they have to do more: they need to increase their parallel voter tabulation strategies to make it even harder for Yaanom to claim victory.

Again, youth power will be critical to 2024 electoral victory and there would be the need for the mobilisation of young people in vast numbers, you know what I mean? Don't get me wrong please, the young ones, especially those who have turned the voting age should be encouraged to register and vote.

Anthony Obeng Afrane