Former President and Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Dramani Mahama has charged members of the NDC who have relatives with difficulties in voting to assist them on December 7 to reduce the number of spoilt ballots
According to him, some of the electorates, mostly the aged with poor sight or persons with some vulnerabilities are most likely to be such culprits.
He however said fortunately the Electoral Commission rules make room for such electorates to be assisted.
He consumed that it is not worth the sacrifices just to go and waste the ballot.
The NDC flagbearer who is on a campaign tour of the North seats region, urged party faithfuls to educate the masses on how to vote but also take note of those who need support and identify relatives who are allowed by law to offer the needed assistance on December 7.
Data from the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) indicates that since the fourth Republic in 1992, rejected ballots are often more than what smaller political parties are able to secure.
The 2020 elections saw the highest number of spoiled ballots in Ghana’s electoral history.
Out of the 12 candidates who contested the presidential election, only two of them were able to gain more votes than the accumulated number of rejected ballots across the country.
A total number of 313,397 rejected ballots recorded represented 2.33% of the total votes recorded.
Significantly, the figure is more than the number of votes obtained by the 10 remaining presidential candidates combined, 1.339%.
The 10 minority parties put together gained 179,691 votes out of 13,432,854 votes cast.
This Mr Mahama says must end. Addressing party supporters at the stance of the Overlord of Mamprugu Traditional Area, Naa Bohagu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga, Mr. Mahama sad the situation is unpleasant especially in the Northern regions.
“Spoiled ballots in the Northern regions is the biggest in the whole country” he bemoaned.
He said the aged must be assisted to end the phenomenon
“Even though most of our mothers and father have voted over the years, they do not know how to vote properly. We have been doing voter education on how to vote but sometimes their eye sight is not very good so they are not able to see so when they go they just thump print anywhere” he advised
He has therefore called on the elite in the various polling stations to identify such persons and educate them directly
“Identity such people in your polling station. The law allows them to be assisted by their relatives to the polling booth so they make the right choice so we reduce the number of spoilt ballots” he intimates
