The Electoral Commission (EC) is holding a special voting exercise in the Eastern and Western regions in preparation for the general elections scheduled for December 7.
This comes after the exercise that was originally scheduled for Monday, December 2, 2024, for these two regions was rescheduled.
At an emergency Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting on Sunday, December 1, the EC announced the postponement due to concerns regarding their integrity raised by the discovery of a defaced ballot paper intended for destruction outside the Checkpoint Printing House.
The printing press that produced the ballots for the Eastern Region also produced those for the Western Region, despite the fact that no problems were noted with the materials used in the Western Region. The ballot papers for both regions were recalled and reprinted by the EC as a precaution.
On Wednesday, December 4, the two regions received the reprinted materials, guaranteeing that they would be ready for today’s voting. Jean Mensa, the EC Chairperson, gave stakeholders the reassurance that every effort had been made to maintain the process’s integrity and openness.
Election officials, security guards, and media professionals who will be on duty on election day are among the designated groups that can cast their votes in advance during the special voting exercise, which was held earlier on December 2 in 14 other regions.
Voting will begin at 7:00 AM and end at 5:00 PM in both the Eastern and Western regions. Participation is restricted to voters who are listed in the Special Voters Register. Systems for biometric verification are being used to guarantee precision and openness.
The ballots cast in the special voting will be safely sealed and taken to the regional offices of the EC, where they will be closely monitored until the general count on December 7.
