Voter exhibition officers call for public awareness over low turnouts

Voter exhibition officers in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis are calling for enhanced public awareness of the Electoral Commission’s ongoing voter register exhibition, as the exercise has seen a notably low turnout during its initial days.

Polling stations at key locations such as the Takoradi Presbyterian Church and Takoradi Technical University, which each have over 1,000 registered voters, reported fewer than 50 visitors, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the exhibition’s outreach.

Similar trends of low engagement were observed in the Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions on the first day of the exhibition, which runs from August 20 to 27, 2024.

The purpose of the exercise is to allow registered voters to verify their details, request corrections or inclusions, object to any improper entries, and remove the names of deceased individuals from the register.

One exhibition officers, who spoke to Citi FM, expressed concern over the low turnout, stating;

“Yesterday [Tuesday, August 20], we recorded 27 visitors across three polling stations. Today [Wednesday, August 21], as of 9:00 am, we’ve only recorded two. There’s a clear need for more education and publicity to encourage people to participate in the process.”

The officer also pointed out that the availability of an online shortcode for checking voter details may be contributing to the low physical turnout.

“We believe the shortcode option has made people less inclined to visit the stations in person, but we still urge voters to come and verify their details to ensure accuracy,” the officer added.

NAY/AE

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