Ghana: polling stations open for dual presidential and legislative ballots

A woman votes in Accra, Ghana, for the presidential election of December 7, 2020. AFP - PIUS UTOMI EKPEI

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4 min

More than 17 million voters are expected to vote on Monday, December 7.

They must elect their 275 deputies and their president.

For the supreme office, twelve candidates are in the running, including the outgoing head of state, Nana Akufo-Addo, who is seeking a second term.

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With our special correspondent and our correspondent in Accra

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Usually, the line starts very early in front of Ghanaian polling stations to have a chance to slip their ballot into the ballot box before going to work.

But not this year.

President Nana Akufo-Addo declared a public holiday on Monday: voters therefore have all day to go to the polls.

In the popular district of James Town, polling stations opened as planned and voters were already there.

In the queue, a man expresses his pride in being Ghanaian.

He says he voted on Monday for the future of Ghana, a country

unlike other African countries.

The atmosphere is more of a party atmosphere: people are happy to be there, happy to be in a way the champions of democracy in the African continent, and they are in fact determined to ensure that the elections take place in peace.

In Nima, another popular and densely populated district of the capital, you come across polling stations almost every 50 meters.

Despite the fairly long queues, everything takes place in peace.

Voters wear their masks, respect their turn in the queue.

Election officials are making sure no one is causing trouble and no violence has been reported yet.

The people of Nima are very proud that the elections in Ghana are still conducted in a peaceful manner.

They claim to be a democratic model for West Africa.

The neighborhood is pro-opposition, but we see flags of the presidential party, or people wearing Nana Akufo-Addo T-shirts and this does not create any tension.

In a city in the suburbs of Accra, called Ashaliy Botwi, there is a little more crowds than elsewhere.

About a hundred people line up in front of a polling station, many women in hijabs, because it is a neighborhood with a strong Muslim community.

People are waiting, umbrellas in hand to protect themselves from the sun, as the weather today is scorching, but that did not discourage people like Prince Boakye from coming to vote.

And it doesn't matter if the choice is the same as in 2016 and 2012, it takes.

This Ghanaian voter told us that he was seduced by the program of the candidates rather than their personalities, in particular that of the outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo to spread the country of industries to boost employment.

Expected results in 24 hours

Last Friday,

even signed a peace pact to urge their supporters to avoid violence.

Thursday evening, Nana Akufo-Addo addressed the nation one last time to prevent any hint of violence.

Nearly 40,000 local and international observers were deployed across the country to ensure the smooth running of the ballot.

Security forces are deployed and police cars drive from office to office.

The big change this year is the now decentralized results transmission system.

In other words, the 275 electoral districts will send the results to 16 newly created regions, which will then transmit the results to the Election Commission in Accra.

The aim is to save time and allow the Electoral Commission to announce the proxy of the results within 24 hours.

Another change is that the results will no longer be transmitted electronically.

Everything will be counted by hand.

In 2016, the machines had not worked.

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