By Agbaxode Emmanuel
Akatsi (VR), Dec. 2, GNA – As of 0721 hours, a total of 23 Special Voters at Akatsi South in the Volta Region have cast their ballots for their preferred Presidential and Parliamentary candidates
The exercise would allow election officials, security personnel, and media practitioners to cast their ballots early ahead of the December 7 general election.
Mr Joseph Fleagbo, the Presiding Officer at the Akatsi Police Station where the exercise is ongoing, disclosed to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that no challenge has been encountered so far.
“We registered 23 eligible voters and have been counting since the exercise started,” he said.
Mrs Akorfa Buabasa Asamoah, the Akatsi South Municipal Electoral Officer in an engagement, further explained that a total of 305 Special Voters are expected to take part in the ongoing exercise.
She added that everything was moving smoothly and was optimistic the exercise would end peacefully at exactly 1700 hours
The GNA also observed some security officers from the Police Service, Fire Service, and EC officials who would work on December 7 converging at the center to have their ballots cast early.
There are 131,478 eligible voters representing 0.007% of the total voter population of 18.7 million would take part in the exercise across 328 centers.
However, the exercise in the Western and Eastern Regions has been rescheduled to Thursday, December 5, 2024, due to a recall of ballots.
Earlier, Mrs Jean Mensa, the EC Chairperson, clarified that security personnel and journalists who did not apply for Special Voting will not be able to vote on December 2 but could participate in the main election scheduled for December 7.
She emphasised that ballots cast during the Special Voting exercise would be tallied on December 7 at the Constituency Collation Centres and then added to the main election results.
To ensure the security of the ballots, all boxes would be sealed and kept in secured rooms at police stations within each constituency.
The general elections to elect a new President and 276 MPs would take place on Saturday, December 7, 2024.
Three Parliamentary candidates namely, Lawyer Bernard Ahiafor, the incumbent Member of Parliament, Mr Mawuli Ocloo Egos for the New Patriotic Party, and Mr Donald Brown Dzameshie of the Progressive Alliance for Ghana would battle for the seat in Akatsi South.
GNA