Low turn-out characterise exhibition exercise in Awutu Senya East Constituency

Low turn-out characterised the on-going Voter Register Exhibition Exercise in the Awutu Senya East Constituency.

The picture is not far from the 2015 Exhibition Exercise, which some attributed to low publicity on the part of the Electoral Commission.

Some voters that the Ghana News Agency (GNA) spoke to also said they voted in the last elections and did not see the need to check their names again because they believe their names are in the register.

At Pentecost School, Odupon-Kpehe, Kasoa in the Awutu Senya East Municipality, where Exhibition Centre A, B and C is located, a total of 288 registered voters checked their names since the beginning of the exercise on September 10. The center has 1,841 registered voters in the Voter Register.

At Exhibition Centre A, 100 registered voters out of 640 registered voters checked their names; Exhibition Centre B, 103 registered voters out of 667 registered voters also turn-out and Exhibition Centre C with a total of 534 registered voters, only 85 registered voters checked their names till date.

As at 1100 hours only three people each came to check their names at the three Exhibition Centres.

Ms Regina Agbenyegah, the Exhibition Centre B Officer, said low publicity and lack of posters within the communities to remind people of the exercise was the main cause of the low turn-out.

She said hitherto, “we see these posters with people in queues going to check their names all over the communities before the exercise begins, but this time round there is nothing like that. It is only the poster showing the exhibition centres that one can see and that is not enough to whip up the enthusiasm of the people.”

She urged the Electoral Commission to give extensive publicity to future exhibition exercises.

Mr Andrews Gyasi, Exhibition Centre C Officer, called on the media to give same publicity to other activities that the Electoral Commission would come out with and not only the general elections.

“During elections, we see some television stations with the inscription “Election Power House” “Elections Hub” Election Command center” amongst others but unfortunately when it comes to exhibition of the voters’ register we do not see that same zeal from the media,” he said.

He urged the media to show interest in all activities to give it the necessary publicity to achieve its intended purposes.

Mr Eric Ankamah, the Exhibition Centre A Officer, also advised the public to take the exercise seriously, adding that “it is their civic responsibility to check that their names are in the voters’ register so that they will not be disenfranchised on voting day”.

The Exhibition Exercise will end on Friday, September 20.