BIOMETRIC VOTER REGISTRATION GUIDE 2012

BIOMETRIC VOTER REGISTRATION GUIDE 2012

ABOUT THE GUIDE

This manual is designed to provide eligible voters with information on the new voter registration system in Ghana and supply information on how to be registered. The manual will also be useful to Political Parties, Party Agents, Candidates, Security Agents, Observers and other stakeholders in the electoral process in guiding their understanding of the Registration process. Especially with the introduction of the new technology which is designed to reduce malpractice and fraud in the registration of voters thereby producing a credible Register of Voters which will guarantee the conduct of free, fair and credible election.

BIOMETRIC VOTER REGISTRATION GUIDE 2012

THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION
The Electoral Commission is provided for under Article 43 of the 1992 Constitution and established by an Act of Parliament, Act 451 of 1993. The Commissions mission derived from its mandate both under the Constitution and the Law is to organize and supervise all public elections and referenda as a way of advancing the course of democracy and good governance for enhanced development of Ghana through institutionalizing free, fair and transparent elections. The main functions of the Commission are outlined in the Electoral Commission Act, 1993 (Act 451), as amended by Electoral Commission (Amendment) Act, 2003 Section 2 are: To compile the register of voters and revise it at such periods as may be determined by law; To demarcate the electoral boundaries for both national and local government elections; To conduct and supervise all public elections and referenda; To educate the people of the electoral process and its purpose; To undertake programmes for the expansion of the registration of voters; and

BIOMETRIC VOTER REGISTRATION GUIDE 2012

To perform such other functions as may be prescribed by law.

BIOMETRIC VOTER REGISTRATION GUIDE 2012

VOTER REGISTRATION
Voter registration refers to the entire process of making the register of voters, also known as the voters register, voters list, voters roll, or the electoral roll. Usually, the process consists of four distinct stages, namely; The field collection of biographic data of eligible persons; key amongst them are the name, age, sex and residential address The compilation of the collected data into a provisional register of qualified voters The exhibition or public display of the provisional register for purposes of affording persons who successfully applied for registration the opportunity to make sure that their names have been included and that their personal details are correct. The production of the final voters register as the official list of persons qualified to vote in elections

BIOMETRIC VOTER REGISTRATION GUIDE 2012

OVERVIEW OF THE VOTERS REGISTRATION PROCESS IN GHANA
The voters register as it exists today has evolved over decades. Voters lists have been used in Ghana since 1925 (where the eligibility criterion was land ownership). The voters register has been computerized since 1988, although no voter ID cards were issued at that time. The first voter ID cards were issued in 1995. Voters registration is done periodically at registration centres where eligible persons must appear in person to have a paper form completed and their photograph taken. Voters receive a voter ID card. The card is a counterfoil of the paper registration form, which is cold laminated and contains a photograph of the voter. The registration forms are scanned and the data is captured using a combination of optical mark recognition (OMR), optical character recognition (OCR) and intelligent character recognition (ICR) technologies. Double or multiple voting is prevented primarily by the application of indelible ink on a voters finger once he/she has voted on Election Day. However, the voters register does not use biometrics and does not have other reliable means of avoiding multiple registrations.

BIOMETRIC VOTER REGISTRATION GUIDE 2012

To address the concerns of double registration and impersonation which affect the accuracy of the register, the Commission has decided to compile the new roll using biometric technology for the 2012 general elections and subsequent elections.

BIOMETRIC VOTER REGISTRATION

Biometric Voter Registration involves the use of biometric technology in voter registration. Biometric technology is the use of computers, fingerprint scanners and digital cameras to capture the bio-data of applicants. Fingerprints are unique to every individual and it is these unique features and other details that are stored in the computer from which the voters register is produced. As done in previous registrations all applicants must be physically present at designated registration centres (regular polling stations) to be registered as voters.

WHY BIOMETRIC VOTER REGISTRATION

The old method of registering voters did not have inbuilt mechanism for detecting multiple registrations and therefore there were instances where some unscrupulous individuals registered more than once. Biometric technology will make the detection and removal of multiple registrations from the system possible. With this a more accurate and reliable register will be produced for the elections.
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BIOMETRIC VOTER REGISTRATION GUIDE 2012

BIOMETRIC VOTER REGISTRATION 2012

The Electoral Commission will embark on a nationwide voter registration exercise from Saturday 24th March to Saturday 5th May, 2012. The biometric voter registration is a complete replacement of the voters register compiled from 2004 to 2010. As a result all previous registrations and existing voter I.D cards will no longer be valid. All Ghanaian citizens who are registered from 2004 to 2010 should therefore be registered anew to qualify to vote in public elections and referenda. The registration will be carried out in four phases in all regions of the country. Each phase will take ten days including Saturdays and Sundays. Phase one will start on the 24th of March and end on the 2nd of April. Phase two will begin on the 4th of April and end on the 13th of April. The third phase will start on the 15th of April and end on the 24th of April, while the last phase, phase four, will start on 26th and end on the 5th of May, 2012.

BIOMETRIC VOTER REGISTRATION GUIDE 2012

WHO QUALIFIES TO REGISTER AS A VOTER?
Only Ghanaian citizens who are; 18 years or above Of a sound mind Resident or ordinarily resident in an electoral area or are permitted by law to register in an electoral area

WHERE WILL REGISTRATION TAKE PLACE

Registration of voters will take place at all registration centres (polling stains) throughout the country. You are expected to apply for registration in person at a registration centre (polling station) in the electoral area where you live. Remember that your registration centre will be your polling station on election day.

HOW WILL REGISTRATION BE DONE

The biometric voter registration will be done in clusters simultaneously in all regions across the country. This means that a team of registration officials with a set of equipment (kit) will be assigned to a number of polling stations in an electoral area. The team will operate in a registration centre (polling station) for a period of 10 days and move to another registration centre (polling station) within the cluster for another 10 days. The team will spend 10 days

BIOMETRIC VOTER REGISTRATION GUIDE 2012

in each registration centre (polling station) until all registration centres (polling stations) in the electoral area are covered. Electoral areas that are large and have more polling stations will have two or more registration teams. You can see from this arrangement that there is no need to worry if the registration team is not at your polling station at the start of the exercise. You will eventually have your turn.

TIME FOR REGISTRATION

Registration will start at 7.00am and end at 6.00pm each day of the registration period, including Saturdays and Sundays.

REGISTRATION PERIOD

SATURDAY, 24TH MARCH 2012 - SATURDAY 5TH MAY, 2012

PHASES OF REGISTRATION
1. 2. 3.

Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3

24th March 2nd April, 2012 4th April 13th April, 2012
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15th April 24th April, 2012

BIOMETRIC VOTER REGISTRATION GUIDE 2012

4.

Phase 4

26th April 5th May, 2012

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BIOMETRIC VOTER REGISTRATION GUIDE 2012

THE REGISTRATION PROCESS
1. Registration will start at 7.00am and end at 6.00pm each day of the registration period, including Saturdays and Sundays. As an applicant you must be physically present at the registration centre to provide the following information to the Registration Officer; Name Date of birth Age Sex Residential address/house number of your present abode Names of parents (dead or alive) Home town/residential address in home town if different from present abode District where hometown is located 2. Capturing of Fingerprints The fingerprints of all your ten fingers will be electronically captured using a fingerprint scanner. The four fingerprints on the right hand will be captured first followed by the left hand and finally the two thumbprints. 3. Photo Taking In addition to taking your fingerprints, your photograph will also be taken on the spot. This photograph will be printed on your voter ID card and the voters register.
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BIOMETRIC VOTER REGISTRATION GUIDE 2012

4. Issuance of Voter I.D. Cards Unless your application for registration as a voter is challenged, you will be issued with a voter ID card at the point of registration. Please wait for your I.D card before you leave the registration centre. If your application for registration as a voter is challenged you will be issued with a voter I.D card only if you are cleared by the District Registration Review Committee (DRRC) set up in every district to investigate and determine the challenges.

CHALLENGING AN APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION

An applicants registration as a voter may be challenged by anybody who qualified to be registered as a voter. A challenge on the eligibility of an applicant to register as a voter will not stop him/her from going through the process if he/she insist that he/she is qualified. The applicant will be allowed to go through the process except that he/she will not be issued with a voter I.D card until the challenge is determined by the District Registration Review Committee (DRRC). If an applicant is challenged, both the applicant and the challenger will appear before the DRRC for hearing and determination of the challenge.

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BIOMETRIC VOTER REGISTRATION GUIDE 2012

GROUNDS FOR REGISTRATION CHALLENGE
An applicants registration may be challenged on the grounds that he/she; Is not a citizen of Ghana Is a minor (not 18 years) Is not of a sound mind Is not resident in the electoral area Is already registered as a voter Is not the person he/she claims to be (impersonation) Is prohibited by law from registering as a voter

DISTRICT REGISTRATION REVIEW COMMITTEE (DRRC)

A District Registration Review Committee will be set up in every district to investigate and determine registration challenges in the respective districts. An applicant or challenger who is not satisfied with the decision of the DRRC may appeal to the Chief Registration Review Officer who is a High Court Judge in the region for a review of that decision.

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BIOMETRIC VOTER REGISTRATION GUIDE 2012

A district Registration Review Committee consists of; (a) One representative of each registered political party active in the district; (b) The district officer of the Commission, who is the secretary to the Committee; (c) The Police Commander in the district or the representative of that Police Commander; (d) The District Director of Education or the representative of that District Director; and (e) One representative of the traditional authorities in the district

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BIOMETRIC VOTER REGISTRATION GUIDE 2012

REGISTRATION OFFENCES
A person who; Registers as a voter when that person does not qualify to be registered

Registers as a voter more than once either at the same registration centre or at different registration centres;

Registers as a voter in the name of another person whether that other person is dead or alive; Using force or threat of force (physical/spiritual) to prevent one from registering as a voter Providing false information to registration officer for the purpose of securing registration Forging, willfully defacing or destroying any officials notice, paper or document relating to the registration of voters Printing any form relating to the registration of voters without authority from the Electoral Commission Challenges or objects to the inclusion of the name of another person in the register of voters on a ground that that person knows to be false; Disrupting procedures at a registration centre or interfering with the work of an official connected with the registration of voters

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BIOMETRIC VOTER REGISTRATION GUIDE 2012

Bringing to the registration centre any electronic device that will interfere with the performance of registration equipment.

GENERAL ADVICE
Register in your electoral area at a center close to your residence Keep your voter I.D card safe and neat for voting on Election Day Avoid multiple registrations, since the biometric voter registration system will expose you and you will be liable for prosecution. Avoid impersonation. If you lose your voter I.D card report promptly to the police Since only qualified Ghanaian citizens are allowed to register as voters it will be helpful if applicants show one of the following; birth certificate, baptismal card, passport, drivers license, NHIS card, National I.D. Card or existing voter I.D. Card

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BIOMETRIC VOTER REGISTRATION GUIDE 2012

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