In a strong show of transparency and collaboration, the Ghana Police Service and the Eastern Regional Elections Security Taskforce on Tuesday, December 3, oversaw the destruction of defective ballot papers recalled by the Electoral Commission (EC). The move was part of measures to maintain electoral integrity following issues that led to the suspension of Special Voting in the Eastern and Western regions.
The destruction process was closely monitored by constituency election directors from all political parties, ensuring accountability at every stage—from the transfer of ballot papers from their armories to their final incineration at the regional dump site along the Akwadum road.
Notably, 31 out of 33 constituencies in the Eastern Region presented their defective ballots for destruction. The Afram Plains North and South Constituencies were exempted from the exercise.
John Appiah Baffour, the Eastern Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, lauded the cooperation and transparency exhibited throughout the process. Speaking to the media, he said, “The exercise has been very successful. We brought all the political parties together, including the constituency executives of the NPP, NDC, and CPP. They verified the seals on the ballot bags and confirmed everything was intact before the destruction. This has been a transparent and thorough process.”
The EC’s swift response to the issue reflects its commitment to upholding trust and fairness in the electoral process ahead of the upcoming polls.
