Turnout low in polling stations in Accra

December 30, 2010 Accra, Dec. 30, GNA - Voting in the district level elections is proceeding smoothly in various polling stations across Accra although turnout is generally low, according to various GNA reporters who are touring the city.

Many residents at Kanda, Nima, Pig farm, Dzowulu, Maamobi and Roman Ridge in the Ayawaso Central and Ayawaso East constituencies were seen going about their daily duties without bothering to go and vote.

They told the GNA that lack of publicity and the uncertainties of the vote had caused apathy among the electorate.

At the Nima 1 JSS only one out of 705 expected voters had cast his vote as at 0745 hours, although voting started promptly at 0700.

At the Kanda Estate 2 &3 Primary School Polling Station, only 10 out of 748 potential voters had cast their ballots at 0715 hours.

Voting at Pig Farm in Ayawaso Central started at 0900 hours. At the Apostles Revelation Society polling station at Pig Farm, the presiding officer told the GNA that voting materials did not arrive early.

Mr Prince Tamakloe Quarshie, a candidate in the Kotobabi electoral area District Assembly, said the collation centre received the voting materials at 0100 hours on Thursday and as at 0915, only 2 out of 1,585 voters had cast their ballots

The situation was not different at King of Kings International School at Dzowulu where 31 people had voted out of the 1,544 at 0935.

At the Ngleshie Amanfro electoral area in the Weija Constituency, turnout was low.

The Presiding officer at the Taxi Rank polling centre, Mr Robert Nyamalor, said voting materials arrived at 0700 hours and voting started at 0730. He attributed the low turnout to the earlier postponements of the voting which had discouraged many people from coming out to vote.

"We hope that people will come out in their numbers to vote during the day as many people have gone to work and markets," he said.

At the 31st December Day Care, it was detected that a voters' register with number 1-36 was missing.

The presiding officer, Ms Shaban Samiratu, told GNA that she had reported the matter to the District Returning Officer and had asked that the ID and polling station numbers of the affected people should be written down and voters allowed to cast their ballots.

The agents of the various aspirants initially objected to this suggestion and demanded the cancellation of voting at that centre, but the matter was sorted out at by 0945, voting was proceeding smoothly.

Mr Alex Nyatuame Sena, a candidate in the District Assembly election, told the GNA that apart from the missing booklet, everything was moving smoothly and he expressed the hope that the election would be free and fair election.

At the Amanfro DC primary School polling centre, only 15 people had voted at 0830 hours out of 1,139 registered voters.

Mr Cornelius Ahiakpor, the presiding officer, said he received voting material at 0630 and by 0730 voting had started and expressed the hope that turnout would increase by midday.

The DC JSS polling centre recorded 30 out of 1813 registered voters as at 0830 hours.

Ms Florence Sarpong, Deputy returning officer, told GNA that voting materials arrived at 0645 at voting stated at 0730 hours.

At the Odidodiodio Constituency, voters trickled in when the polls opened.

Though voting materials did not arrive on time in most areas visited, all voting centres had more than enough materials.

Mrs Mercy Obeng-Akrofi, Presiding Officer, in an interview with GNA, attributed the slow turnout to the fact that it was a working day and many people had gone to work.

At the Sempe 1, 2 & 3 two centres, turnout was not encouraging.

"It is also a fishing community and we hope people will want to make some money for the day before coming to vote. I hope by the close of day, many people would have come to vote to elect their district assembly and their unit committee members," she said.

At the Sempe 2 Centre, only 42 voters out of the 591 registered voters had cast their ballots as at 1000 hours.

Ms Animwaa Obeng-Akrofi, Presiding Officer, told the GNA that the delay in starting the voting was due to the non-availability of a vehicle to convey the materials to the centre.

"Yes, the turnout is not encouraging but I hope they will turn out in their numbers before the end of the day," she added.

The situation at Sempe 3 voting centre was not different. Only 43 out of the 687 registered voters had turned out to vote by 1000 hours.

Voters were seen trickling in one after the other whilst other residents were seen busily going about their normal daily work.

Mr William Lampety, Presiding Officer for Sempe 3, commended the polling agents for being cooperative since the beginning of the elections.

At the Kwaafori Centre, only 57 out of the 560 registered voters had turned out to vote and Ms Diana Awetteh, the Presiding Officer, said she had enough logistics for the exercise.

The Shiino Block Centre at 1030 had seen 136 voters out of the 1,289 registered voters.

At the James Town Manste Court, which is under the Ngleshie Electoral area, 65 voters had voted as at 1045 hours and Mr Faisel Laryea, the Presiding Officer, attributed the low turnout to the delay in commencing the voting.

He explained that the agents of the candidates did not turn up in time for the commencement of the voting.

"People wanted to vote early so they could go to work but the agents for the contesting candidates were not around for us to open the ballot box, so they left and promised to come back before close of voting. I hope they will come back," he added.

Three candidates are contesting for the position of the district assembly member while nine people, including one female, are contesting for the unit committee election.

A cross-section of residents seen busily going about their daily chores told GNA spoke that the postponement of the elections had taken the vim out of them.

At the University Staff Primary in the Okponlgo electoral area, voting stated at 0900 and 36 out of 1,011 voters had cast their ballots at 1124 hours hours.

At the Akuafo Hall Main voting started at 0730 hours and 12 people had voted out of 2,502 at 1108 hours.

At the Commonwealth Hall, voting started at 0727 hours and 13 out of 2,243 had voted at 1125 hours.

The presiding officer, said the low level of publicity, rescheduling of the voting, students' examinations, students being on holidays and students who have left campus because they had completed their courses accounted for the low voter turnout.

At the Restaurant C23/29 Okponglo voting started at 0923 hours and 31 out of 1,482 had voted by 1145 hours.

Voting to elect District Assembly and Unit Committee members for the Ga East District took place on Thursday.

Though the voting was rescheduled, many voters in the Dome-Kwabenya Constituency were not discouraged about the turn of events.

When the Ghana News Agency (GNA) got to the Kwabenya D/C Primary School polling station at about 0830 hours, voting materials had arrived and were being inspected by the Presiding Officer and Agents of the various candidates.

Unlike the Presidential and Parliamentary elections that recorded long queues, polling agents for the district assembly and unit committee elections recorded low turn-out with the Officials gazing at by-pass vehicles.

Mr Winfred Oteng-Fori, Presiding Officer of Kwabenya Voting Centre expressed worry about the poor voter

turn-out and called on the public to patronise the elections to ensure that the right persons are voted into officer to enhance development.

Mr Kofi-Kofi George Kelly, Presiding Officer for the Royal Family School at Ashongmang-Mosuku, said only 14 people had cast their ballot as at 0930 hours.

He expressed worry about the general low voter turnout.

He said voting at the centre started at 0730 hours and so far everything had moved on well.

Voting for the District and Unit Committee elections in the Taatso-Nkwantanang Electoral Area in the Ga-East District on Thursday was going on smoothly when GNA toured the area.

Voting materials, which had been the cause of the postponements of the elections, were available and voting started at exactly 0700 hours as scheduled.

When GNA visited some of the polling stations in the area, the turnout was not very good.

At the IBM Primary School polling station, voters were just trickling in and only five people had voted 30 minutes after voting started.

The Presiding Officer at the station, Mr Alex Laryea, said everything was going on smoothly and expressed the hope that more people would come and exercise their franchise.

At the Christ the Saviour Preparatory School polling station, Mr Francis Agyei Addo, the Presiding Officer, said voting started on time but that only two out of a total of 706 registered voters had come to vote - one male and one female.

Turnout at the Church of Pentecost (Bethel) polling station was even less than the other two, as only one out of a total of 1,033 registered voters had voted at about 0830 hrs when the GNA visited there.

Mr Albert Aboagye, Presiding Officer, attributed the low turnout to a lack of commitment to the district level elections as compared to presidential and parliamentary elections as well as loss of interest due to the postponements of the polls.

Six people are contesting for the position of assembly members - five males and one female - while 17 people are contesting for the Unit Committee Membership. Five people would be elected out of the 17.

GNA