The Electoral Commission says there will be more polling stations for use in the upcoming December 7, 2020, parliamentary and presidential elections.
This is because it has designated 38, 622 polling stations going into the polls.
The number is an increase from the more than 33,000 polling centres used in the previous election.
Already, the electoral management body has declared its readiness for the voting as well as its confidence in the credibility and integrity of the voters’ register.
Director of Electoral Services at the EC, Dr. Serebour Quarcoe in a Citi News interview disclosed that the commission merely split up the original polling stations.
“We want to reduce the queuing at the polling stations so the Commission decided to put the threshold at 749 so any centre that is more than that is spilt. So there are some centres that have been split into five. Some are four, three and two. The splitting has created about 5,000 plus centres. So there are no new centres. The splitting is around the whole country but mostly in areas that are densely populated”, he indicated.
We are 95 percent ready to conduct 2020 polls
EC Chairperson, Jean Mensa has said her outfit is 95 percent prepared to deliver successful, credible, fair and orderly elections on December 7.
Madam Mensa noted that issues related to procurement, logistics and the conduct of the election within a safe environment despite the advent of COVID-19 have been thrashed out.
She said her outfit’s preparedness is expressed in the procurement of a variety of election materials for the election including ballot boxes, thumbprint pads, stationery, identification jackets, polling station booths, rechargeable lamps, indelible ink, educational posters, seals among others.
“Mr Speaker, I am pleased to inform you that the Electoral Commission is 95 percent ready for the successful, credible, fair, orderly and peaceful conduct of the election on December 7, 2020”, she said.
Jean Mensa also dispelled the notion that she does not have respect for the House.
“It is important to emphasize that this is the first time I have been invited by the House in my capacity as the EC Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, I have on no occasion turned down an invitation from the Parliament of Ghana”, she said.
Logistics
The EC boss disclosed that the total cost of the materials for the election was GHS 8,373,545 which has promoted the efficiency of staff as well as the swift movement of goods and materials from the stores to regions and districts and also helped to eliminate costs that were associated with the hiring and rental of vehicles.
“As we speak, the distribution of these items to our regions and districts is well underway. I can confirm that as a result of the thorough planning and distribution mechanisms employed, we are about 95% done with the distribution of election materials to our various locations across the country. What is left to be delivered are the Ballots and Registers. Procurement of Vehicles to facilitate the movement of our staff and promote the delivery of their mandate at the grass-root level, the Commission procured a number of vehicles. In total 147 vehicles made up of 15 motorbikes, 30 four-wheel drives, 107 pickups, eight haulage trucks and two Coaster Buses”, she said.
