This announcement was made during a press conference on Saturday, December 7, 2024.
“This is a historic moment. For the first time, we are opening our collation centre at the national level. In all elections since the inception of the Fourth Republic, the media was granted access only when the declaration was about to take place. Today, this has changed. The media will have access to all collation centres across the country,” Mensa stated.
In a further demonstration of the Commission’s commitment to an open electoral process, Mensa revealed that 10,000 media personnel have been accredited to provide first-hand, verified information during the elections.
This initiative aims to promote accountability and responsibility as well as to ensure that the public receives accurate information in real-time.
“This is a testament to the values of accountability, inclusiveness, and responsibility. By enabling the media to access our work, we are injecting transparency into the process, which will further cement the peace in the country,” she added.
The 2024 general elections are currently underway across 276 constituencies, with approximately 18.8 million voters expected to participate.
This election features thirteen presidential candidates, including nine representing political parties and four independent candidates.
Of the 18.8 million voters, 459,291 represent 4% of the total voter population. The demographic breakdown reveals that 48% of voters are male, while females make up 52%.
Notably, the youth will play a pivotal role in these elections, constituting 55% of the voter population.
A total of 40,976 polling centres are being utilized for the elections, with 328 centres already having conducted Special Voting exercises on December 2 and December 5, 2024.
According to data from CODEO, the largest civil society organization monitoring elections, there are 801 parliamentary candidates vying for the 276 seats.