Ghana Card For Voter Registration Will Depend On How Quickly NIA Is Able To Issue Them - Kwarpong

Dr. Osae Kwarpong, a Senior Fellow at the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), has stated that the Electoral Commission's (EC) ability to use the Ghana Card for voter registration will depend on how quickly the National Identification Authority (NIA) issues cards to Ghanaians to allow them to register on the electoral roll.

His remark follows the EC's insistence that the Ghana Card be used as the primary identification document for voter registration.

The elections administration body believes the Ghana Card will solve the problem of registering minors and foreigners to vote.

Director of Electoral Services at the EC, Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, spoke at a forum held at the University of Ghana on Thursday, June 15. He stated, "We are satisfied that we have addressed impersonation to a large extent, double registration, and multiple voting to a large extent, but how do we address the registration of minors and the registration of foreigners?

"I believe the politicians will now assist us, as they are typically the ones who recruit these individuals and then accuse the EC of having registered juveniles.

"However, the EC believes that one solution is to use the Ghana Card, and there have been so many arguments that we are still debating it.

"We continue to insist that the Ghana Card be implemented so that we can resolve the issue of minors, as their dates of birth and citizenship will be included on the card. This will also significantly reduce the number of registrations of minors and foreigners."

Dr. Osae Kwarpong stated on the Ghana Tonight Show on TV3 with Alfred Ocansey on June 15: "I comprehend where the EC is coming from in terms of its rationale and its determination to have voters register with "integrity."

"Year after year, we have had these discussions between political parties and Ghanaians in an effort to reach a point where we can trust the voter register. The most recent of these measures was implemented in 2020."

He added, "This insistence on the Ghana Card is also contingent on the NIA's ability to ensure that Ghanaians can register and receive their cards in time so that they can register to vote. This has been discussed in the past."