Allowing Prisoners To Vote In Parliamentary Elections Will Pose A Problem - EC

The Deputy Electoral Commissioner in charge of operations in Eastern and Greater Accra regions, Mr. Sarfo Kantanka has observed that allowing prisoners to vote in the parliamentary elections would pose a serious challenge to the commission. He explained that the inmates� individual constituencies would have to be identified and their ballots papers printed for them to enable them to vote for parliamentary candidates in their constituencies. Mr. Kantanka, who was speaking at a press conference to sensitise the media on the biometric voter register, pointed out that even identifying the inmates and their constituencies would be a difficult task to fulfill "let alone printing their individual constituency ballots for them". The Deputy Commissioner pointed out that most of the inmates were not interested in the voting and fulfilling such task for them might not yield any results. He said some countries have failed in such endeavours and advised that it would be better and easier for the commission if they were allowed to vote only in the presidential elections only adding that he doubts they would even vote for the presidential. Mr. Kantanka assured that the Commission would however do its best to ensure that inmates register and participate in the upcoming elections. On the right of prisoners to vote, he pointed out that allowing inmates to vote in the parliamentary elections would create a major challenge to the commission. There will be the need to identify the constituency in which each of the inmates belongs to enable the commission print their ballot papers for them; he said adding that it would be a very difficult task for the commission to fulfill. Mr. Kantanka advised that it would be better of if these inmates were rather allowed to vote for the presidential only.