Ghana prepares to launch new election registration

GOVERNMENT

Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC) is preparing to launch its new biometric-based electoral registration system. The EC has stages a series of information sessions on the upcoming registration exercise, in which biometric data of all voters will be captured. The data gathered in the exercise will be backed up at a secret location, to ensure its safety.

A pilot registration process will be undertaken in the Eastern Region from February 25 to Tuesday February 28.

The EC said the Commission would register all eligible persons, including prisoners, in all regions and districts from 24 March to 5 May 2012.

The EC said it was prepared to deal with unusual cases such as people with disabilities, and had made special provision for those who did not have hands or all their fingers. The system uses biometric data such as fingerprints and facial recognition.

Hubert Akumiah, ICT Director of the EC, has warned that people, who try to register twice will be detected and arrested. He gave the assurance that the new registration system would be effective in preventing any registration fraud.