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Replacement Voter ID Cards begins
Accra, March 14, Ghanadot/GNA - The nationwide replacement
of lost, defaced or badly damaged Voter Identification Cards
started with the usual apathy on Friday as most of the
centres in Accra recorded low patronage.
The exercise, which runs from Friday, March 14 to Saturday,
March 23 between 0700 hours and 1800 hours daily, including
weekends, forms part of preparation by the Electoral
Commission (EC) to ensure that every eligible Ghanaian
participates in Elections 2008.
A visit to some of the replacement centres by Ghana News
Agency revealed low turnout.
To ensure convenience, replacement centres have been located
at least in each Electoral Area for all eligible voters who
have these problems to appear personally and provide
personal data to the Replacement Officer.
According to the EC after the collection of data on
applicants, processing and preparation of the new voter ID
Cards would take place at the Head Office of the EC.
Appropriate measures would then be put in place to deliver
the new cards to applicants before the Revision of the
Voters' Register.
Applicants who would be unable to have their cards during
that period would have the opportunity to do so during the
Exhibition of the Voters' Register.
The rationale behind this exercise, according to the EC, is
to discourage voters in that category from the temptation of
double registration, which is a punishable offence, and
offenders are liable for prosecution.
The EC said this arrangement did not constitute a transfer
of vote. The EC will put measures in place later for voters
who have moved residence to transfer their votes to enable
them to vote where they are currently resident.
GNA
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