E-voting press release

With December 7, 2009 marking exactly a year since the first round of the 2008 general elections, the Danquah Institute will hold a press conference to announce and explain to the public the need and relevance of its 2 days National Conference on the viability of electronic voting in Ghana slated for February, 2010, to the deepening of national debates and sustainability of our young democracy.

The Institute deems such a major national conference particularly necessary because of Ghana’s volatile and charged partisan political environment. It is extremely important that we have a trusted election process, where elections will be regarded as fair, even by the losing side. The purpose of the 2010 national conference will be to interrogate deeper the issues and concerns about e-voting. If India, with more illiterates than the entire population of Ghana, with 714 million registered voters, 828,000 polling stations, with many in areas with no electricity, could deploy one million Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for an election with more than 100 political parties and not register any notable voice of protest, then Ghana should not shy away from examining the viability of an electronic electoral system.

The press conference which is a forerunner to the February 2010 national Conference takes place at the Ghana International Press Centre on Monday, 7th December, 2009. It will among others highlight some of the debates and questions that have ensued immediately after the elections, on the need to improve on the credibility and security of our voter’s register as well as ballots.

It will also highlight on some of the experts and participants from academia, political parties, government, civil society, industry and professionals from across the globe that will be engaged in the discourse at the National conference.

Date and Time again for the press conference is Monday, 7th December, 2009-12-03 9:45 am prompt.

Nana Attobrah Quaicoe Head of research.