Wa, Aug. 12, GNA – The Electoral Commission (EC) has registered a total of 2,746 Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in the Upper West Region in the just ended voter registration exercise to enable them to participate in the December 7, elections.
In all, the Commission registered a total number of 470,271 eligible voters in the region comprising 219,125 males and 251,146 females.
Mr Ali Osman, the Upper West Regional Director of the EC, who spoke in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said, unlike the previous register, the current one properly captured data on PWDs.
He also disclosed that the current voter population recorded had exceeded that of the old register.
According to the EC Regional Director, the increase in numbers for this year was due to normal population growth indicators such as migration, increase in birth rates and also more children attaining the required voters’ age of 18.
He said 250 people had their eligibility challenged in the course of the exercise by individuals who could not identify them as members of their constituency.
Mr Osman explained that the challenged individuals were allowed to register but were not given their ID cards, adding that a committee set up by the Commission would investigate the challenges associated with them.
“If cleared, they will be given their cards and if found guilty, their details will be expunged from the register”, he said.
The EC Regional Director stated that although the exercise was a success, they were faced with minor setbacks such as a breakdown of machines at some point during the exercise.
These setbacks according to him were often resolved as soon as they occurred and did not have any negative impact on the success of the registration.
