Ghana holds special voting ahead of general elections

Accra, Dec 3 (IANS) Polls opened at selected polling stations across Ghana for special voting ahead of the general elections scheduled for December 7.

The special voting early Monday allowed individuals, including security personnel, journalists, electoral commission officials, and civil society activists, who will be performing their duties away from polling stations during the main elections, to cast their ballots, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Electoral Commission (EC) said about 131,478 individuals, representing 0.007 per cent of registered voters, are eligible to cast their ballots in Monday's special votes.

Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, an incumbent member of parliament for the Korle-Klottey Constituency, told Xinhua the process for the special voting was smooth all morning.

"Voting started on time, and there has been a high turnout so far. There have not been any hitches," Agyeman-Rawlings said. "If what we are seeing today is replicated on December 7, people will be inclined to accept the outcome. For that to happen, the EC must play the role of a neutral referee."

At the Legon Police Station polling station in the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency, Lydia Egyiri, a municipal electoral officer, expressed satisfaction with the smooth process. She told Xinhua that all the biometric machines, including the verification devices, were working perfectly and voters were comporting themselves properly.

According to the EC, the special voting for the Western Region and the Eastern Region is postponed to December 5 due to the exposure of some of the ballot papers ahead of time.

On December 7, voters in Ghana will head to the polls to elect a new president and 276 members of parliament.