Only 871 journalists to take part in Special Voting – EC

Only 871 journalists across the country will be allowed to partake in the Special Voting by the Electoral Commission (EC) scheduled to take place on Thursday, December 1.

The Electoral Commission (EC) says these 871 journalists applied through the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), the National media Commission (NMC) and the EC itself.

The Head of Communications at the EC, Eric Kofi Dzakpasu, told Onua FM’s Ghana Dadwene that these 871 journalists are part of the total 65,001 people, who are applied to vote on Special Voting day.

CI 91 mandates “election officials, media and security officials to undertake the special voting”, Mr. Dzakpasu told the host, Kwame Karikari, on Thursday.

Giving the breakdown of the 65, 001 people who will partake in the special voting, Mr. Dzakpasu said “40,563 EC officials, 871 media personnel and 23,567 security officials applied to vote”.

He added that “only 871 media applied through EC, GIBA and National Media Commission in all the 28,992 polling stations across the country”.

Mr. Dzakpasu explained that “the law does not allow civil society organizations to vote on the special day” and as such they did not apply to undertake the special voting. On early voting, which took place in the US elections, the EC Communication Head said “no early voting.

We have not reached the America stage, so ours is special voting”. The General Secretary of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), David Agbenu, when contacted said after the GJA had information from the EC about the special voting, they sent a circular to all the media houses to adhere to the directives but only few media houses such as the Daily Graphic, Ghanaian Times, Ghana News Agency, and few other private newspapers responded.

He explained that the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) told them they would work on the electronics media in the country so the GJA concentrated much on the print media.