Caught In The Act – Police Grab NDC Delegates At Bimbilla For Taking Pictures Of Their Ballots

There was serious tension at Bimbilla in the Northern Region today as police arrested some delegates during the National Democratic Congress (NDC) constituency elections.

The delegates were caught allegedly taking photographs of their ballot papers after voting at the Bimbilla constituency election centre. 

According to Citi News and Joy News, the arrests immediately sparked agitation and confusion at the polling centre as security officers moved in to stop the act. 

The NDC is holding its nationwide constituency elections on October 24 and 25, 2026, across all constituencies. Over 15,000 delegates are expected to vote for new constituency executives who will lead the party at the grassroots level.

But the exercise at Bimbilla was almost disrupted when some delegates decided to break one of the most important election rules – no photography of ballot papers.

In Ghana, taking a picture of your marked ballot paper is an electoral offence. The Electoral Commission and the police have warned about it many times.

The reason is simple. Voting must be secret. If you take a photo, you can send it to someone to prove you voted for them. This opens the door for vote-buying and intimidation.

That is exactly what security agencies are trying to prevent in these internal party elections.

Eyewitnesses say police at the centre warned delegates before voting started. Yet some still attempted to bring out their phones in the voting booth to snap their ballots.

Officers who were monitoring the process quickly intervened and picked up those involved.

The Bimbilla incident is not isolated. Similar arrests have been reported in other constituencies today.

In Wa Central, police picked up three people at the Wa Technical Institute voting centre for allegedly photographing their ballots during the same NDC elections. In some of those cases, even a constituency communication officer was among those arrested. 

This shows police are taking the matter seriously across the country.

As of now, the arrested delegates at Bimbilla are in police custody assisting with investigations. The elections are however continuing under tight security.

The NDC leadership and the police have both reminded delegates: Vote, fold your ballot, drop it in the box, and leave. Do not take out your phone.

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