W/R: EC suspends pilot voter’s registration as Biometric Verification Device fails
The Electoral Commission of Ghana has earlier this morning suspended the ongoing controversial pilot new voter’s registration exercise in Sekondi in the Western Region as the Biometric Verification Devices (BVD) developed faults.
Information available to Coverghana.com.gh suggest that, the BVD the Electoral Commission official are using for the piloting exercise has failed to function. The Biometric Verification Devices are used to capture the bio-data of applicants during a registration exercise.
According to sources, the EC official have packed the machines and disorganized the center for the exercise, meanwhile there were people in the queue waiting to go through the entire exercise.
EC officials at the registration center tried all they could but the machine failed to function.
Currently, all applicants left the registration center leaving behind only the Electoral Commission officials at the EC’s regional office.
Information also revealed that, the Biometric Verification Devices the Electoral Commission is using for the piloting are all new machine because there are no features of old BVD used during the 2016 general elections.
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BACKGROUND
The Electoral Commission of Ghana has on 2nd June, 2020 began conducting a pilot registration of voters ahead of the mass compilation of the new voter’s register later this month.
The pilot registration exercise is being conducted in all the sixteen regional in the country. According to the electoral commission, “the essence of the exercise being conducted in all the regional offices of the Commission, is meant to identify problems associated with the new system, including its effect under various weather conditions and find ways of mitigating them.”
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The commission further explained that, all issues identified will be forwarded to the Commission at the national level for the necessary rectifications to be made before the commencement of the exercise at the end of this month.”
Below are the eligibility criteria for getting yourself onto the new voter’s register;
One must be a Ghanaian. One must be 18 years and above and of sound mind. One must present a passport or Ghana card as proof of identification OR Present two guarantors who have already registered.
The commission also stated that “Safety measures will be put in place at all registration centres throughout the country to protect applicants, who are mandated to wear nose masks to the registration centres.”
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