Special voting: CODEO calls on law enforcement to respond "quickly" to instances of electoral fraud

The Ghana Police Service has been urged by the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) to "take a swift action" in response to the malpractices that were observed during Monday's special polling exercise.

Some people were caught influencing voters, while others tried to record their cast ballots on camera during the special voting on December 02, 2024, for members of the media, security guards, and other individuals whose jobs on election day could prevent them from casting ballots.

One such instance was when Lydia Seyram Alhassan, the Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon, was seen on tape giving out food and water to voters waiting in queue at the Legon polling station alongside her assistants. Despite being caught on camera performing the act, she denied knowing about it.

On Tuesday, December 3, 2024, CODEO released a report denouncing instances of vote-buying and ballot photography that violate polling station ethics. The occurrences were described as concerning, particularly when present security officers and EC officials watched without doing anything to stop them.

The observed instances of vote-buying and the taking of pictures of ballots are concerning to CODEO. The fact that some security and presiding officers did little to prevent the violations is alarming. Parts of the Coalition's statement included, "The Coalition is calling on the Ghana Police Service to take swift action against all such cases, including those reported in the media."

When such events arise on Saturday, December 07, when the general election is held, it urged the relevant parties to make directions on how election officials and security personnel should behave. "It is imperative that the EC and the National Election Security Task Force give presiding officers and security offices clear instructions on what to do in the event that they observe election violations.

This will assist in preventing similar incidents during the polls on December 7. The Ghana Police Service is urged by CODEO to keep the public informed of any such activities. The Office of the Special Prosecutor's interest in these cases is acknowledged by CODEO," the statement continued.