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Significant delays in polling station openings during Ghana’s general elections in 2024 have been brought to light by the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO).
During a press briefing, CODEO Co-chair Rev. Fred Deegbe stated that only 85% of polling places had election officials on duty as of 6:00 AM, 12% had no officials present, and 3% had opened before CODEO observers arrived.
Only 66% of polling places had started voting by 7:15 AM, while 31% faced delays between 7:16 AM and 8:00 AM, mostly as a result of staff members being late or electoral materials being absent.
A further 4% opened between 8:01 and 10:00, while 1% did so after 10:00.
52% of polling places in the Northern Region began operations after 7:50 AM, the highest percentage of delayed openings.
Significant delays were also experienced by the Eastern (42%), Greater Accra (47%), and North East (49%).
The voting procedure has gone quite smoothly in spite of the obstacles.
Despite 26% having just one biometric device, observers found that 74% of polling places had the anticipated number of devices.
At all polling places that were observed, voter registers, ballot booklets, and serial numbers were in the correct order. Before voting started, ballot boxes were also checked to make sure they were empty, sealed, and visible to voters.
Additionally, security measures were observed, with staff on duty at 98% of voting places.
Of these, 20% had armed officers present, while 78% were unarmed.
During the process, CODEO observers recorded a few events, including three reports of vote-buying, 18 voting procedural breaches, 30 violent occurrences, and 14 examples of intimidation or harassment.
Despite the difficulties, Rev. Deegbe commended the Ghanaian Electoral Commission for its efforts in holding a free and fair election.
“While there are areas for improvement, the overall process demonstrates progress and dedication to upholding democratic principles,” he said.
As voting goes on, CODEO has urged all parties involved to maintain composure and their commitment to guaranteeing a legitimate election process.