2024 Election: EC opens Collation Centres to media

The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Jean Mensa, has announced a decision to grant media access to all collation centres across the country.

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, December 7, 2024, she emphasised that this move marks a significant milestone in the nation’s electoral process, enhancing transparency and inclusivity.

“This is a historic moment. For the first time, we are opening our collation centre at the national level. In all elections since the inception of the Fourth Republic, the media was granted access only when the declaration was about to take place. Today, this has changed. The media will have access to all collation centres across the country,” she stated.

Jean Mensa further announced that the Electoral Commission has accredited 10,000 media personnel to provide first-hand, verified information during the elections.

She explained that this initiative reflects the Commission’s commitment to accountability and responsibility.

“This is a testament to the values of accountability, inclusiveness, and responsibility. By enabling the media to access our work, we are injecting transparency into the process, which will further cement the peace in the country,” she added.

The 2024 general elections are ongoing across 276 constituencies in the country, with 18.8 million people expected to vote.

The 2024 election has thirteen presidential candidates, with nine of them representing political parties and four being independent candidates.

Of the 18.8 million voters, 459,291 represent 4% of the voter population. 48% of the voters are male, while the female population makes up 52%.

The role of the youth in the elections will be significant as they make up 55% of the voter population.

A total of 40,976 polling centres will be used for the 2024 elections, with 328 already used for the Special Voting exercises that took place on Monday, December 2, and Thursday, December 5, 2024.

According to data published by CODEO, the largest CSO in elections, the 2024 elections will feature 801 parliamentary candidates vying for the 276 seats.

Of the 13 presidential candidates, four are independent, while nine represent political parties. This means that the elections will have nine political parties contesting.

In the parliamentary elections, there are 111 candidates contesting as independents.

JKB