Ghana must not rush into electronic voting – Deputy EC Chair cautions

Newly sworn-in Deputy Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr Joseph Kwaku Asamoah, has cautioned against the hurried introduction of electronic voting in Ghana, arguing that electoral technology must be compatible with the country’s laws, political environment and voting system.

He believes Ghana should prioritise the effective use and improvement of existing electoral technologies rather than adopt new systems simply because they are being used elsewhere.

“You do not have to hurry yourself to adopt a technology that does not fit into a particular political and electoral contest,” he warned.

Dr Asamoah pointed to the country’s transition from manually compiled voters’ registers to biometric voter registration and biometric verification as evidence of progress in electoral administration.

He said these developments have already introduced significant technological changes into Ghana’s electoral system.

However, he maintained that such progress should not automatically lead to a wholesale transition to electronic voting.

“You cannot say now we are going to do electronic voting. You can’t do that,” he stated.

The Deputy Chairperson explained that electoral technologies must be assessed against the legal and political circumstances of the countries seeking to adopt them.

Ghana currently uses biometric technology to register and verify voters, while voters cast their choices on paper ballots.

Dr Asamoah argued that the existing system has been tested over several electoral cycles and should provide a foundation for future improvements.

“We already have an existing system which has been tested, which can be attested to, and which has actually run for some time,” he said.

He nevertheless left the door open to technological enhancements, stressing that any changes should be explained to the public and undertaken with stakeholder participation.

His comments suggest a preference for gradual electoral modernisation over a rapid shift to electronic ballot casting.

He did not announce any formal decision by the Commission to introduce or reject electronic voting.

For Dr Asamoah, the test for adopting new electoral technology is not simply whether it is advanced, but whether it can operate effectively within Ghana’s electoral framework.

We are interested in how elections are won, not who wins – Deputy EC Chair