Elections 2012: EC to allow proxy voting

The Electoral Commission will allow proxy voting and transfer of votes during the 2012 general election which will be conducted with the Biometric Voters’ Register.

Prospective voters wishing to take advantage of the proxy and the transfer of votes from one polling station to another would, however, have to notify the EC 42 days before the polls instead of the current 21 days.

The Director of lCT, Electoral Commission, Hubert Akumiah, who disclosed this, said the increase of the days would afford the EC enough time to adequately make provision for such a demand with the use of the Biometric Voters Register.

“This year, we will take transfer and proxy of votes very early other than the actual date for the polls. This will help us to make adequate provisions for such demands,” noted Mr Akumiah.

He was speaking at a two-day election sensitization workshop for members of the Parliamentary Press Corps in Ho during the weekend.

The workshop, which was sponsored by the European Union (EU), was under the theme: “The Role of the Parliamentary Reporter in the 2012 General Election”.

Proxy voting is simply when an eligible voter assigns or delegates someone to vote on his behalf when he or she for some reason(s) was unable to be present for such an exercise.

With this, eligible voters wanting to make such a demand have until October 26, 2012 to notify the EC about their intention, failure of which the application would not be granted.

According to Mr Akumiah, the provision of proxy and transfer of votes in the upcoming general elections has a legal backing in the C.I 75 which is currently before Parliament awaiting for approval.

Many registered Ghanaians, especially, those outside the country as well as those having some physical challenges have for decades resorted to proxy voting whenever there was a general election.

In May, 2012, the fear of not having proxy voting in the 2012 general elections was heightened when a newspaper reported that such an exercise was in danger of being eliminated from this year’s election which would be done with the Biometric Voters Register.

Daily Graphic