EC Shops For Proxy Voters

The Electoral Commission (EC) seems to be breaking the rules of engagements on proxy voting in Ghana ahead of the December 7 polls.

This is because the EC has rather written  to the missions to 'shop' for proxy voters instead of waiting on government ministries and missions abroad to ask it for proxy voting opportunities for their officers.

EC recently wrote a letter to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) dated September 27, 2016 seeking for assistance to enable Ghanaian registered voters on official duties outside the country to vote by proxy in the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections.

According to the EC, “This category of persons includes voters who are in government employment at Ghanaian missions abroad or serving in peacekeeping missions.”

The letter, signed by chairperson of the EC, Charlotte Osei, urged the Defence Ministry to furnish the Commission with the list of peacekeepers who wish to vote by proxy in the 2016 polls.

EC, in the letter, announced that “the proxy forms are ready for collection at the Commission's head office for onward transmission to the various peacekeeping missions and must be completed and returned by October 5, 2016.”

Some people have argued that proxy voting could be used to rig this year's elections.

On August 17, this year, the EC started a 40-day exercise to accept applications for proxy voting during general elections on December 7.

The 40-day exercise, according to pundits, is too long for the exercise, and it could be subjected to abuse and manipulation.

Ideally, government employees serving with the missions abroad and peace keepers or officials on trips overseas, who are interested in voting by proxy, are the ones who are supposed to contact the Commission through their missions.

By first writing to the missions, the EC is somewhat creating the situation whereby persons in Ghana who are not serving with foreign missions could go in to apply for proxy voting on behalf of their relatives abroad without the knowledge of such government employees.

Meanwhile, the letter to the CDS sighted by DAILY GUIDE said “the appointed proxies of applicants resident outside Ghana are required to go the District Offices of the Electoral Commission where their polling stations are located not later than 7^th October, 2016 to be processed for proxy voting.”

By Melvin Tarlue