Victor Smith Insists Forensic Audit of Voter Register is Non-Negotiable, Cautions Electoral Commission


A leading member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Ambassador Victor Smith, has advised the Electoral Commission (EC) to do what is right to sustain the peace and tranquility of Ghana's democracy, which is anchored on free, fair, and transparent elections. 


He stressed that the current voter register discrepancies identified by the NDC cannot guarantee fairness during elections, which could become a recipe for anti-democratic tendencies that may derail the country's development and growth.


Ambassador Smith made these remarks during an appearance on TV XYZ's morning show 'Dwaboase' last Thursday, September 26th, 2024. 


This follow calls from concerned Ghanaians regarding the inadequacy of the voter register for the upcoming December 2024 general elections. 


He urged the EC leadership not to allow their actions to create situations similar to Afghanistan, Gaza, and other violence-prone countries, and to embrace the demand for a forensic audit of the voter register, which is critical for free and fair elections.


He reminded the EC of the potential dangerous consequences if they fail to respect the will of Ghanaians, warning that they may not be able to contain the situation if Ghanaians become agitated due to their reluctance to conduct the forensic audit. 


He emphasized that the audit must be done, and it must be conducted by an independent body to ensure credibility and electoral integrity.


According to Ambassador Smith, the demand for a forensic voter audit is non-negotiable for the people of Ghana.


Ghanaians, led by the NDC in collaboration with various stakeholders, including civil society organizations, labor unions, and religious groups, are calling for urgent reforms to ensure the integrity of the electoral process. 


Key reasons behind the demand include ensuring accuracy by verifying the authenticity of registered voters and preventing potential electoral fraud, boosting transparency to provide a clear and transparent electoral process free from manipulation, and enhancing credibility to restore trust in the electoral system and ensure that the voices of all Ghanaians are heard.


The NDC has raised concerns over several issues with the voter register, including:

- Duplicate entries: 243,540 previous transfers were illegally added to 2024 transfers.

- Unidentifiable voter transfers: over 15,000 unidentifiable voter transfer paths.

- Deleted names: 3,957 names deleted from the roll.

- Voter transfer discrepancies: 2,094 voters transferred to different polling stations.

- Corrupt files: presence of corrupt files in the system.


The NDC believes these irregularities could affect around 300,000 votes, which is a significant number considering the potential impact on the election’s outcome. 


However, the EC has responded by stating that the call for a forensic audit is premature. 


According to the EC, they have robust procedures in place to ensure the integrity of the voter register, and these processes are still ongoing.

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