Mrs Jean Mensa, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), stated on Tuesday that using the Ghana Card for voter registration will not disenfranchise any eligible Ghanaian voter. She stated that the Commission's Constitutional Instrument (CI) was not intended to disenfranchise eligible Ghanaians, but rather to ensure continuous voter registration processes. That would be inclusive because it would allow all those who would otherwise be excluded from a limited Voter Registration Process to be included.
Mrs. Mensa made this statement during her presentation to Parliament's Committee of the Whole on the Draft Public Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations, 2023, and the status of the ECOWAS Identification Card (Ghana Card) Registration. She stated that the CI sought to promote continuous voter registration and advocated for year-round registration at the Commission's district offices, which was a significant departure from the previous system in which voters were only registered for a limited time. She stated that the exercise was not a one-time or limited event that would result in the disenfranchisement of people who did not have the Ghana Card. "This is an activity that can be done all year. As a result, someone who does not have the Ghana Card today can get one tomorrow by simply walking into a bank.
The use of the Ghana Card as the sole form of identification would ensure the integrity of the Electoral Register, prevent minors and foreigners from enrolling, and eliminate the guarantor system, which was prone to abuse. This is consistent with Regulation 7 (1) of the Legal Instrument (LI) passed by Parliament, namely the National Identity Register Regulations (LI) 2111, which states that the National Identity Card must be used for a variety of transactions, including voter registration, when required. To improve transparency, political parties may have their agents present at the registration center while the Commission provides them with regular updates on the number of registrants at each district office. "Mr Speaker, I would like to emphasize that the Ghana Card will not be accepted."
