Election 2024: EC, political parties agree to close polls at 3pm instead of 5pm

• EC and IPAC have agreed to close polls for general elections at 3:00pm

• The Commission said the decision came after it held a two-day workshop to assess the 2020 general elections

• The EC said it will also introduce an all-year-round Voter Exhibition exercise through an SMS short code

The Electoral Commission and political parties within the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) have agreed on a decision to close polls for the general elections at 3:00 pm instead of 5:00 pm.

The two bodies following a two-day workshop to assess the 2020 general election also agreed to institute an all-year-round Voter Registration system where citizens who turn 18, or persons who have not previously registered, can visit an EC District office with their Ghana Card or Passport in order to register as voters.

Providing updates via its official page on Twitter, the Electoral Commission on May 20 pointed it will be introducing an all-year-round Voter Exhibition exercise through the use of technology [SMS Short Code] as well a periodic physical verification at Exhibition Centres.

“Agreements made at the Election 2020 IPAC Assessment 2-day Workshop. At the end of the interactive workshop for members of the IPAC to assess the processes leading to the 2020 General Elections and the Election, the Political Parties and the EC agreed on the following; Closing the polls at 3:00 pm rather than 5:00 pm."

"Institute all year-round Voter Registration system where citizens who turn 18, or persons who have not previously registered, may visit any EC District office with their Ghana Card or Passport and register as voters"

“Introducing all-year-round Voter Exhibition exercise through the use of technology (SMS Short Code) as well as have periodic physical verification at Exhibition Centres,” the tweets read.

The EC added it will further build efficiency into the collation processes by focusing on data entry only at the Constituency Collation Centre (CCC) which will serve as the entry point.

It explained, “the captured data at the CCC will be made available to all stakeholders at the Regional and National levels from which regional and national reports will be generated.”

See the tweets below:

Agreements made at the Election 2020 IPAC Assessment 2-day Workshop. At the end of the interactive workshop for members of the IPAC to assess the processes leading to the 2020 General Elections and the Election, the Political Parties and the EC agreed on the following:

— Electoral Commission Of Ghana (@ECGhanaOfficial) May 20, 2021

1. Closing the polls at 3:00pm rather than 5:00pm.

2. Institute all year-round Voter Registration system where citizens who turn 18, or persons who have not previously registered, may visit any EC District office with their Ghana Card or Passport and register as voters.

— Electoral Commission Of Ghana (@ECGhanaOfficial) May 20, 2021

1. Closing the polls at 3:00pm rather than 5:00pm.

2. Institute all year-round Voter Registration system where citizens who turn 18, or persons who have not previously registered, may visit any EC District office with their Ghana Card or Passport and register as voters.

— Electoral Commission Of Ghana (@ECGhanaOfficial) May 20, 2021

4. Build further efficiency into the collation processes by focusing on data entry only at the Constituency Collation Centre, (CCC) which is the entry point.

— Electoral Commission Of Ghana (@ECGhanaOfficial) May 20, 2021

The captured data at the CCC will be made available to all stakeholders at the Regional and National levels from which regional and national reports will be generated.

— Electoral Commission Of Ghana (@ECGhanaOfficial) May 20, 2021