Elections: Filing, balloting for positions should be digitised

A United States-based Ghanaian Professor, Kwaku Asare is making a case for digitalisation of the filing and balloting process for the presidential aspirants.

He argues that digitalisation is the way to go to deal with the drama and confusion that characterize the entire process.

“What is stopping the EC from digitalizing the whole filing process? We can do that in today’s high-tech world, digitally and the EC can then audit the submissions and instantaneously or within a few hours notify the parties that the application is complete and admitted as a candidate or certain documents are missing.

“The filing and balloting for positions could be digitised, it will save us time and the drama,” he said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, September 21 while acting to the chaos that characterized the balloting for positions on the ballot at the headquarters of the electoral commission on Friday, September 20.

It has emerged during the balloting for positions that the Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia will be number one on the ballot paper for the December 7, 2024 polls. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) picked the number 8 slot on the ballot paper after Friday’s balloting at the EC’s headquarters.

Great Consolidated People’s Party (GCPP) picked number 2 and the Ghana National Party (GNP) will be number 3 on the ballot paper.

The Ghana Union Movement will be number 4 while the Liberal Party of Ghana picked 5. The National Democratic Party (NDP) took number 6 and the Convention People’ Party (CPP) picked 7.

All People’s Congress (APC) will be number 9 while John Mahama of the NDC will be number 8 on the ballot paper. The balloting exercise was fraught with disagreements by the various representatives of the parties but ended successfully after over one hour.

For the Independent Presidential candidates; Alan Kyerematen secured the 13th position while Nana Kwame Bediako took number 12.

Kofi Koranteng will be number 10 on the ballot paper and George Twum Barimah picked number 11.

The Electoral Commission held the balloting for positions on the ballot papers on September 20 following the announcement of the approved candidates for the elections.