Voting in Tema runs smoothly

At Tema the long queues that characterized the December 7 voting are conspicuously absent in the presidential run-off.

About five polling stations visited by the GNA showed no queues and the presiding officers attributed this to some of the electorate attending church service while some also have transferred their votes to other places.

The presiding officers said some of them went early in the morning to cast their votes.

With the exception of the Twedaase JSS polling station all stations visited had been orderly and smooth, with all the voting materials in place, security agencies, observers as well as NPP and NDC agents present.

At the Twedaase JSS polling station a registered voter, Madam Gifty Turskon, whose name was on the voter register list was being prevented to vote because her name appeared on the transfer list with the number E061003.

This issue generated into argument between the NDC and NPP members present as the lady said she could not be disenfranchised for the mistake of the Election Commission.

Madam Turkson appealed to the EC to rectify the anomaly to enable her to cast her vote because “I voted at this very station on the December 07 election, and this is where I have been voting since 1992”.

Mr Micheal Quaicoe, the Presiding Officer, said though Mad Turkson was seen by electoral officers casting her votes on December 07 he was strictly complying with the rules and regulations governing the election and therefore would not allow her to vote.

Voting in the presidential run-off took off smoothly in the Kumasi metropolis as voters formed long queues as early as 0430 hours in some polling stations.

At the Anwomaso M/A JHS polling station in the Oforikrom constituency, about 50 out of the 1,200 voters had cast their votes as at 0730 when the GNA visited the station. All the election materials, security personnel and party agents were present and proceedings going on smoothly.

At the Bebre town polling station also at the Oforikrom constituency, there were few people in the queue casting their votes and about 40 out of the 684 voters had voted as at 0740 hours when the GNA visited the station.

Mr Asiedu Boateng, the Presiding Officer, told the GNA that all the materials as well as party agents and security personnel were present and he had not encountered any problem.

Mr Michael Kwarteng, presiding officer for the Jackson Park polling station, told the GNA that lack of validating stamp delayed the start of voting for about 30 minutes at the centre. He said party agents did not understand why people should be allowed to vote without the stamp at the back of the ballot paper.

He, however, said when the stamp was brought everything began smoothly and had not encountered any problem as at 0830 hours when the GNA visited the station. About 120 people out of the 1,371 had cast their votes at the time of the visit.

At the Asem Boys JHS polling station, 152 out of 796 voters had cast their votes as at 0852 hours the GNA visited the station. Mr R.A Amoah Nyarko, the Presiding Officer told the GNA that everything was moving on smoothly. There was virtually no queue at the time of the GNA's visit.