The Electoral Commission (EC) will commence a voter transfer exercise from the 20th of October to the 26th of October 2020 subject to the maturation of the Public Election Regulations 2020 (C.I. 127).
The exercise in times past permitted registrants to transfer votes from one constituency to the other before the voting day but this year’s exercise will be different.
Previously, one desiring to transfer his or her vote from one constituency to another ought to do so six months to the election.
But this year, due to the compilation of the new voters’ register, it means there is not enough time for that unless the current C.I. is amended.
The Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu in a Citi News interview said the C.I.94 will be amended to that effect.
“In the original statutes, voters’ cannot transfer their votes within 12 months leading to elections. That’s the statutes but this year, after they the Commission finished the compilation of the register, it is left with less than six months to the elections.”
“So strictly and technically if you want to transfer, you may not be able to transfer and yet for the students, in particular, we may have to make provision for them which will mean an amendment of C.I. 94.”
The EC began the compilation of the new voters’ register on Tuesday, June 30, 2020, and ended on Sunday, August 9, 2020.
The exercise which was conducted in six phases saw 16,963,306 persons registered onto the new voters’ register.
However, some 35,000 applicants have had their eligibility being challenged.
