Special voting in the Eastern and Western regions, initially scheduled for tomorrow, has been postponed to Thursday following the discovery of a stolen ballot paper.
Dr. Omane Boamah director of elections for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) disclosed on his Facebook page on Sunday 1st December 2024 evening, highlighting details from an emergency Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting held earlier today.
According to Dr. Boamah, a ballot paper meant for the Eastern region was found in unauthorized hands, raising concerns about the security of the voting process.
The ballot papers for both the Eastern and Western regions were printed by Checkpoint, the same company, leading to intensified scrutiny of the production and distribution processes.
In response to the incident, the Electoral Commission (EC) announced that reprinting of the compromised ballot papers will commence immediately at three separate printing facilities.
Dr. Omane Boamah questioned why the state securiry have been silent on the development despite being briefed about the development.
“While state security agencies have been briefed, they remain tight-lipped about the identity of those responsible for the breach” .
Dr. Boamah commended the Electoral Commission for promptly revealing the issue, contrasting it with a previous case of stolen Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits, where transparency was lacking.
The postponement comes at a critical moment in the election cycle, as special voting is a key phase for security personnel, journalists, and election officials who will be on duty during the main polls.
Efforts are underway to ensure the integrity of the process, as political parties and election observers continue to monitor the situation closely.
The EC has assured stakeholders of its commitment to addressing the concerns and maintaining public confidence in the electoral process.
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Source : www.kumasimail.com
