The Director of Electoral Services at the Electoral Commission (EC) has said that the decision to use the Ghana Card as the sole identification for registering prospective voters is to prevent chaos at polling stations.
According to Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, the confusion that surrounded the 2020 elections was mostly about who is eligible to vote.
Speaking on Newsfile on Saturday with host Samson Lardy Anyenini, Dr Quaicoe said the EC is therefore adjusting its systems and is committed to ensuring that the Ghana Card is the sole identification card for registering voters.
“As Electoral Commission, we cannot sit there. That’s why we are always adjusting our systems. First, we were not using biometric, now we’re using biometric. We want to do anything to remove chaos about registration”.
Dr. Serebour Quaicoe explained that the Ghana Card will also resolve the issue of who is a Ghanaian and a foreigner. He stated that about 52 foreigners were arrested during the 2020 election due to possession of the voter’s identification card.
In regards to this, he said, “we will establish the identity of Ghanaians and their ages so that our district offices will not become battle grounds”.
Earlier this week, the Deputy Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC) in charge of Corporate Services, Dr. Bossman Asare warned prospective voters to obtain a Ghana Card since that will be a requirement for voting in the 2024 election.
Dr. Asare disclosed this in an interview on The Pulse Wednesday. He said without a Ghana Card, one will not be registered to vote.
This, he said is because the Ghana Card has made an impact in our society with almost 17 million Ghanaians registered for it.
“Commission in collaboration with our partners took the decision that now let us have the Ghana Card as the main requirement.
“So what this means is that as soon as you acquire your Ghana Card with a continuous registration, you just go to our district office where you are located then you go and register and your name will be put on the roll of voters,” he said.
However, a former Chairperson for the Electoral Commission, Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan advised the outfit against using the national identification [Ghana Card] as the sole requirement for voting in the 2024 election.
According to Dr. Afari-Gyan, millions of qualified electorates will be disenfranchised by the decision.
Dr. A fari-Gyan said many Ghanaians are finding it difficult to get their Ghana Cards, thus, making it the only form of identification for voter registration was against electoral inclusivity, fairness and justice.
“Ghanaian citizens don’t lose their citizenship if they are 18 years or older but do not have the Ghana Card.
“So, the moot question is: why make the Ghana Card the only means of identification for purposes of establishing eligibility to register to vote,” he queried.
