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A pre-election survey by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) indicates that the Electoral Commission boss, Jean Mensa, and her team have a strong backing from Ghanaians despite constant attacks from some opposition elements.

The CDD-Ghana pre-election survey, which was conducted from September 28 to October 16, 2020, had Ghanaians giving Mrs Mensa 68% approval rating with a paltry 24% strongly disapproving her work as EC boss.

The report thus confirms that Ghanaians are in firm hands as far as the conduct of the December 7 elections is concerned.

Under the Survey, Mrs Mensa was in the category of “Popular Approval of Elected/Appointed State Officials'".

Performance are highest for the President, 70% followed by the EC chair.

Members of Parliament follow with 53% and Chairperson of the National Commission of Civic Education with 48% approval.   

Methodology

Every adult citizen had an equal chance of being selected for the 2020 pre-election survey.

A national representative sample of 2,400 adult citizens was randomly sampled and distributed across regions and urban-rural areas in proportion to their share in the national adult population.

Face-to-face interviews were conducted in the language of the respondent’s choice (a standard English questionnaire was translated into Twi, Ewe, Ga, Dagbani and Dagaare).

A sample size of 2,400 yields a margin of error of +/-2 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. Fieldwork (or data collection) for the 2020 pre-election survey was conducted.

Initiated in 2016, the CDD-Ghana pre-election survey is aimed at picking early warning signals by tracking citizens' opinion on the overall level of the country’s preparedness for elections; public confidence in the competence, integrity and neutrality of election, relevant state and quasi-state bodies; and voter behaviour, expectations, priorities and potential turn-out.

With funding support from USAID/Ghana, CDD-Ghana conducted a pre-election survey from September 28 to October 16, 2020.

The survey also helps isolate and identify voter concerns regarding election security, physical intimidation, violence, and perceived peacefulness of the political environment. Analysis of the results of the pre-election survey was undertaken from mid-October.