EC insists no verification, no vote in Talensi by-election

The Electoral Commission has emphatically stated that no electorate would be allowed to vote if his or her fingers are not biologically verified by the biometric machine in tomorrowโ€™s by-election in Talensi.

About 39,000 registered voters are expected to cast their ballot in 74 polling stations to elect a Member of Parliament who would replace Robert Mosore.

The Talensi seat held by the NPP became vacant when Robert Mosore resigned after his enskinment as Tongo chief. Eight persons are now vying for his seat.

The issue of no verification, no vote became an issue for contention at the landmark Supreme Court election petition after the 2012 general elections.

Guided by that, the Upper East Regional Chairman of the Electoral Commission, James Arthur Yeboah told Joy News Monday that once the machine fails to pick the fingers and establish the authenticity of a voter, he or she cannot vote.

โ€œLet me make it clear, if your finger is not picked you cannot vote,โ€ he stressed.

All political parties and persons contesting tomorrowโ€™s by-election have been told about the unbending stringent rule, he said. โ€œ[There are]No serious issues we need to resolve, everything is on cause,โ€ he indicated EC’s readiness for tomorrow.

The Electoral Commissioner there pointed out that they are โ€œwinding up preparation for the electionโ€. Ballot papers, biometric machines and all the necessary electoral materials have been put in their respective boxes and sealed, Mr. Yeboah noted. They would be dispatched to the various polling stations tomorrow morning, he added.

He said all biometric machines to be used for Tuesday have been worked on by ECโ€™s technicians, and assured, โ€œI believe we are using a better device nowโ€.

However, to avoid a recurrence of 2012 elections, where voting was postponed for a day after many of the election machines developed fault, two machines would be dedicated to each polling station to emphasize the Commissionโ€™s determination to ensure that everyone who casts his or her vote is verified.

Owing to that, Mr. Yeboah warned voters to watch โ€œwhat they do with their fingersโ€ so that they are not deprived by the machine.

Meanwhile persons whose fingers are not recognised would be noted down by the EC officials so that their data would be worked on to enable them vote in the next election.

As parliamentary candidates mop up their activities for tomorrow, many have been talking about their chances in the parliamentary contest.

Candidate of the governing NDC Benson Tongo Baba told Joy News he expects to win more than 20 thousand votes. He is confident of winning the seat and has ruled out any surprises.

The constituency has been perceived as a safe seat for the NDC, but NPPโ€™s Thomas Duanaab Awuni says it is a โ€œmistake to describe the seat as a safe seat for NDCโ€. A seat cannot be safe for a party if the figures of the losing p arties outnumber that of the winner, he explained.

He talked about โ€œbroken down educational systemโ€ where the best BECE candidate obtains aggregate 20 which โ€œshows education there is collapsingโ€.

He is hopeful his campaign on improving education in the constituency will win him the election.

The Progressive Peopleโ€™s Party has also fielded Joseph Toatoba as its parliamentary candidate. He believes his promise of creating jobs and wealth is enough to swing votes his way.

Meanwhile after Sundayโ€™s massive rallies by major political parties, Joy Newsโ€™ Upper East correspondent Albert Sore said the constituency is now calm with people going about their normal businesses. Occasionally a motorbike or vehicle flying a political partyโ€™s flag could be sighted, he observed.


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