Voters ID card online verification in Ghana: a step by step guide

Ghana introduced a Biometric Voters Registration in 2012 this was to ensure that if anyone had lost or misplaced his card few months or weeks before general election he/ she can use Voters ID card verification Ghana. Find out more about this milestone in improving voting systems in Ghana.

A lot of people maybe asking how can I check my voter’s ID? Simple if you have registered as a voter and want to confirm that, send a text with your ID number to 6363.

You will get details with your name, registration date, voting center, it doesn’t matter where you are.

This process was implemented by the Electoral commission to give them a humble time.

A good citizen should have a voter’s card this shows that you do care about your country and that whoever you chose to represent you follows the will of the people.

Though, the primary purpose of voters id card Ghana is to improve accuracy, prevent multiple voting, prevent voter impersonation and prevent ballot stuffing.

In Ghana the electoral law say one must present identification documents before voting.

This implies without this documents you will not be allowed to proceed to the other steps where you are identified by the Biometric voter’s registration identification.

Note that the applicant should appear in person before the registration officer at the registration officer at the registration center at the time specified by notice in the Gazette by the commission.

For one to qualify to vote

1. One must be a Ghana citizen

2. One should be 18 years and above and of sound mind

3. He/she should be the resident or ordinarily resident in an electoral area 4. Is not prohibited by any law in force from registering as a voter is entitled to have his name included in a register of voters for the electoral area during a period set aside for the registration of voters

The voting process

A registered voter is expected to show up to their voting location with his/ her document and election official will check Ghana voter id search in the BVR before they present the voter with their ballot which contains the list of candidates running for various seats.

1. On the election one should to go to the polling station with correct documents, your voters id card sample and join the queue if there is any at that time you have arrived.

2. A polling assistant will check your particulars in the name reference list.

3. The officer will confuct the voters id card online verification procedure with biometric machine to check if one is eligible to vote or he had applied for the card.

4. One will be given a lot papers please be careful when checking if it has marks kindly call for an assistant but if there are no marks on it ensure it has a validating stamp.

5. Make your way to the voting Booth and thumb print correctly your choice of candidate.

6. Cast your vote in the Presidential Ballot Box.

7. Proceed to the next Polling Assistant for a Parliamentary Ballot paper.

8. Proceed to the Voting Booth and thumb print your of choice MP, cast your ballot in the parliamentary ballot paper.

9. Cast your ballot in the parliamentary voting box and make sure, it’s in the right box or it will be rejected.

10. Please leave the Polling Station after voting, you can return at 5 pm for counting.

Ghana voter ID card download

Why download your voter id card, yes you have heard it right is very possible.

You do not need to have your voter id card to vote, you can just visit the polling booth along with your proof of identity either Driving License, Passport and cast your vote.

But before going to the polling station doubting if your name is their kindly go log onto Macheki.com to check if your name is included in the list of people who have been removed.

For those who don't know what Machecki is don't worry we have you covered, it is an identification management and verification system designed by a team of young Ghanaians.

Advantages of Biometric Voters Registration in Ghana

Faster and build trust-BVR helps the citizen to get results with hours instead of weeks.

Can increase engagement and turnout-For others countries, technology will be a useful way of improving voter education and registration, to increase engagement and voter turnout.

Increases accessibility -Electronic voting is very good at making voting more accessible, meaning it’s easier for disabled people to vote independently.

Electronic voting that is visibly secure- It also helps people see that our electronic voting system is completely secure.

If anyone was able to hack into the system, there would be a discrepancy between the electronic count and the paper count.

BVR is auditable, transparent, secure and accurate- In Ghana automated elections mean that people can trust the results because it allows for a process that is so auditable, transparent and secure.

Of course, electronic voting also helps reduce human error. Reduced operational costs- BVR helps in cost reduction since not many people will be hired to work.

Possible causes of BVR failure in Ghana

Inadequate training skills - This occurs when the government didn’t dedicate much time in training the employees oh how to operate a system and method to solve in case an error has occurs.

Inadequate training of users might make the system look faulty therefore expert system analysts suggest that users be given proper training before an organization embraces a new system.

Poor fit between organization and system- This occurs when majority of pooling station are in the rural area where accessing network and electricity is hard.

Faulty hardware - This occurs when the kits are purchased and the government didn't bother to check them this will bring to tension in the country.

The bad thing about BVR it cannot be reset once compromised.

Systems are not 100% accurate

There are two types of errors in a typical biometric system. A false reject (FR) error is the rejection of an authorized person trying to access the system. A false accept (FA) error is the acceptance of a person who is not in fact who he or she claims to be. These two types of errors are inversely proportional and in general can be controlled by a confidence threshold. To increase the security of the system, the threshold can be increased, which decreases FA errors and increases FR errors.