Cape Coast Experience Low Voter Registration Turnout

The Cape Coast Metropolis recorded low turnout in the first day of the nationwide limited voter registration exercise being carried out by the Electoral Commission (EC).

The Electoral Commission (EC) designated 314 registration centres in the Central Region for the ongoing limited registration exercise, twenty-four of the centres are in Cape Coast. 

It is a constitutional requirement for the EC to embark on a limited voter registration exercise in every election year to allow for the names of those who have turned 18 years and above to be included in the voter register.

The exercise, which started smoothly in most of the centres, was graced with much apathy.

When the Ghana News Agency (GNA) visited some registration centres in the metropolis to acquaint itself with the exercise, many of the registration officers were virtually unneeded.

As at 1230hours when the GNA visited the Ntsin  and  Amanful registration centres only 17 each had registered with a few number in the queues. 

The long queues usually associated with the exercise was absent in many of the registration centres including the Post Office centre at Brofoyedur ,where only 16 persons had come to register when the GNA visited the centre.

Mrs Philomena Edusei, the Regional director of EC, in an interview with the GNA, said the exercise was being done in phases and that could be the reason for the low turnout. 

She said some electoral areas in the Metropolis including Abura were on the second phase.

Mrs Edusei said the Commission was well prepared and had trained registration officers to handle issues that may come up.

The GNA observed that the Parliamentary candidates for the various parties and their representatives were at some of the centres to observe the exercise.