Poor turnout at ongoing exhibition of biometric register

There are reports of a slow start on day one of the ongoing exhibition of the biometric voters' register.

The 10-day exercise will afford the over thirteen million eligible Ghanaians captured on the roll the opportunity to verify their names and other details.

Various political parties have alerted their officers, especially polling agents to be vigilant throughout the period but reports around the country indicate most of the centers have been relative quite since morning.

An exhibition officer at Gado’s Mosque in Nima, one of the polling centers in Accra, George Essel told Joy News in an interview that turnout has been low but he was optimistic that “…from tomorrow they (voters) will be coming in their numbers. He said prospective voters who registered may not have turned up because “they are not much aware” of the exercise.

Central Regional correspondent Richard Kwadjo Nyarko reported that turnout at about 20 exhibition centres he visited was also low.

“I visited a centre where over 46 people have registered; another centre had also registered 20 people…” and there hasn’t been challenges," he stated.

Isaac Mintah of Ho-based Lorlornyo FM also reported that at the EP primary school where about 1,090 prospective voters registered, only 11 had turned up for the verification exercise at the time he arrived there. Again, he said only 12 out of over 1000 voters had been to the EP JSS where they registered.

“So it’s very very slow, at some polling stations you don’t even see anybody and officials are complaining that they need to beef up education…”

Upper East regional correspondent, Albert Sore also painted a similar picture about the exercise at Bolgatanga.

“Most of the polling stations I’ve been to had very very few people coming… For instance, at the area council polling station, the officer there was telling me that he’s been there since 7am and only three people have come to crosscheck.

“But the general concern they are all sharing is that it appears the publicity of the exercise was very minimal…”

Upper West regional correspondent Rafik Salam also reported that party agents and security personnel were absent at most of the centers.

Meanwhile Principal Public Relations Officer at the Electoral Commission, Madam Sylvia Annor has urged voters to participate fully in the exercise to avoid disappointments on the day of election.

The exercise is taking place simultaneously at all the polling centres across the nation for 10 days...

Credit: myjoyonline

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