The Electoral Commission has moved to calm the frustrations of early voters who could not cast their ballot in the special voting exercise, explaining they may get another chance.
These voters were unable to vote possibly because their names were not transferred from the general voters register to the special voting list.
The Head of the EC’s Communications Eric Kofi Dzakpasu explained this on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show Monday.
For example, a voter like popular broadcaster Kwame Sefa Kayi who feared he was disenfranchised can vote after all, Mr Dzakpasu noted.
Kwami Sefa Kayi, host of Peace FM Morning Show Kokrokoo, complained he could not find his name at the Tema Community 2 polling station in Tema West constituency of the Greater Accra region.
‘My name has vanished,’ he told Joy News on the second day of special voting Sunday after he first encountered the problem on the first day of special voting last Thursday,
“It’s not just me…there are quite a number of us out here and maybe I will go and try again on Wednesday,” the disappointed Broadcaster indicated.
Several thousands of security officers, journalists and even the electoral commission’s own officials were unable to vote early.
The special voters are early voters who by their professional categories cannot vote on the general election day December 7.
They are journalists, health professionals and security officers whose services are deemed essential on voting day hence the early opportunity.
But explaining the cause of the hitches, EC Communications Director Eric Kofi Dzakpasu chalked it down to the improper transfer of the names of these professionals from the general voters register to the special voting register.
In the case of the Peace FM broadcaster, the National Media Commission was responsible for transferring special voting staff of media organisations to the EC.
Kofi Dzakpasu suspects, Kwami Sefa Kayi’s name never made it to the EC.
“One, maybe in the compilation [by the NMC] his name was omitted in the final list that came to the Electoral Commission”
“Two, the name came maybe with inadequate information, that is, the ID card number and your polling station code”
“Or three, it came with all this information but were not accurate”
“Or finally it came but in the keying process [by the EC], there was an error in the input
He said one of these four reasons could explain why a qualified voter who has applied to be a special voter could not find his name on the register.
He explained that all these affected persons have no cause to worry because their names will be transferred back to the general voters register.
It means they can vote in the December general elections Wednesday. He assured the Peace FM presenter that he has no cause to fear disenfranchisement.
“With all respect, Kwami’s name did not vanish. His name is in the register. His name did not appear on the special voters list so he couldn’t have voted”.
“So on Wednesday, his name will be on his register in his polling station”, Eric Kofi Dzakpasu stressed.
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