Ghana Launch Online Voters Registration, As Nigeria Still Lags

A digital system that enables citizens begin voter registration process from the comfort of their homes has been launched by the Ghanaian electoral commission.

The Commission noted that the latest developments is to ensure the compiling of the register of voters for elections is ongoing, while ensuring citizens adhere to the COVlD-19 pandemic.

The new digital system would see to it that by dialling a short code or applying online, an eligible voter can book a slot at a local registration centre of choice.

That way, people who visit the register centres would be limited.

Applicants are also expected to comply with the outlined COVID-19 protocols such as the use of face masks and sanitisers at the registration centres.

Ghana’s electoral commission claims to be the “first electoral management body in the world to implement a digital decongestion protocol based on a bio screening standard for electoral purposes”.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has suspended the voter registration exercise due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Although the commission has fixed September 19, 2020, and October 10, 2020, for governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states, respectively, only those who already have their permanent voter cards (PVCs) are eligible to vote.

A guide on the voting queue

Ghanaians will go to the polls in December 2020 to elect a new president and members of parliament.