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

Take some time off

At times its good to take sometime off to do one or two things. 

Today, we had no internet link in the office so I went to the internet cafe to do some uploads online.

I closed around 1pm and will use the remaining time to visit a couple of friends to say hi.
I will also take time to plan ahead for next week for the upcoming youth program at church which comes on from monday 17th-23rd September, 2012.

Your comments are warmly welcomed

My blog - my dairy

I have decided to use my blogspot as my diaryy where I keep my vital information and keep any new information I come across.

I will keep you updated on current issues ranging from politics, education, sports, security, crime etc.

 - You can try it too because its a vital tool to me.

NPP chairman throws support for NDC over projects

Mr. Kwaku Attah, chairman for the New Patroitic Party (NPP) branch in the Freboye Constituency in the Bosome Freho District in the Ashanti Region, has thrown his support for President John Mahama and the NDC government for initiating noteworthy development projects in the area.

The NPP chairman made his intentions known when he accompanied the District Chief Executive (DCE) for the Bosome Freho District, Mr. Kwame Adarkwah to commission a 3-unit classroom block for the Freboye town.

Mr. Adarkwah in an interview,  indicated that due to the increasing population in the town, the school was however over burdened with classroom deficit problems hence the need to construct a new one for them.

He said in view of this, funds were quickly made available and the contract awarded in order to solve the problem as early as possible.

The DCE noted the cost of the school block to be GHs69, 000 adding that the facility is currently in use after it was commissioned about three days ago.

Godwin Allotey Akweiteh