In Ghana, the second round of voter registration for the upcoming presidential election in December has commenced. The first day, Tuesday, May 7th, saw some technical hitches, which have since been resolved according to the electoral commission. Those who have not yet registered – mostly the youth – still have three weeks to enroll on the voter lists.
Some tensions arose this morning at the registration center in Accra dedicated to voter registration. The cause was long queues due to technical issues. However, this did not deter 19-year-old student Nafissah and 21-year-old tailor Salifa. The two young individuals from the Maamobi neighborhood will be voting for the first time in December.
“It is very important to vote, to be able to choose the leader of your choice, so that he can take care of the country, waste management, roads, water…,” “As you can see, today, the situation in Ghana is very difficult. All I wish for is that everyone gets better jobs, so that we can take control of our lives. So, we must vote with great care,” they testify.
Alongside them, Salif Ayouba nods in agreement. The 18-year-old science student regrets one thing, though: that not all his friends come, like him, to collect their voter cards. “Some people say that voting is useless, that once elected, leaders will not help them. That politicians only care about them during elections… So no, they don’t think well of it.”
In 2020, participation was around 80%, up from the previous election. It remains to be seen how a historic economic crisis, increasing distrust in institutions, and low confidence in the electoral commission will affect participation in the December election.