[ 2012-09-24 ]

EC to allow proxy voting in December 7 polls
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.

Source - Daily Graphic

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