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The new voter registration exercise by the Electoral Commission (EC) has begun smoothly in second cycle schools and other institutions in the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region.

When the Ghana News Agency visited some schools and institutions within the Municipality at 1200 hours on the first day of the two-day exercise, it was observed that students and staff were going through the process under strict COVID-19 safety protocols.

There were Veronica buckets containing water, soap and tissue at each entrance for the applicants to wash their hands before entering their various Assembly Halls where the registration exercise was taking place.

Apart from the fact that social distancing protocols were strictly adhered to, all students and staff who came to register wore nose masks.

At the Bolgatanga Girls’ Senior High School (BOGISS) where two registration centres were created, Ms Rubama Zakaria and Ms Faustina Bugre, registration officers for centre one and two respectively said 42 and 38 persons had registered respectively.

At the Bolgatanga Technical Institute (BOTECH), Mr Anthony Apambila, a registration officer, said the two centres at the school had registered 111 persons with 51 from centre one and 60 from centre two.

Mr Apambila said about 90 per cent of the staff had already registered while the students were allowed to go through the process in batches according to their various houses to ensure the safety measures were being followed.

He said the school provided the hygiene materials while the Electoral Commission brought along with its alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr William Obeng Adarkwa, the Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, explained that the two-day exercise was taking place in 23 institutions in the Region.

The Regional Director said the number included other institutions such as the Zuarungu Nursing Training College, Police Training Academy and other facilities, which had high numbers of people.

Mr Adarkwa clarified that those schools and institutions, which already had registration centres of the EC were not included in the two-day exercise.

The Regional Director explained that potential voters who might not be able to register during the phases would be registered during the mob up exercise after all the phases were completed.