The Electoral Commission has asked Ghanaians to exercise patience as the Commission collates the final results of the 2024 Presidential Election. The call was made by the Chairperson of the Commission, Mrs. Jean Mensa, who addressed a major press conference together with her deputies as well the rest of the members of the 7-Member Commission.
Addressing members of the media, agents of presidential candidates, local and international observers, members of the diplomatic corps and directors and staff of the Commission, the Chairperson assured the Nation that the Commission has a robust mechanism in place to receive and declare results.
Assurance
She further assured the Nation that despite the convention of declaring results within 72 hours, it has only been 23 hours since polls closed on 7th December, even though the Commission in 2020 was able to do so in record 48 hours. The Commission reminded Citizens that since the beginning of the 2024 electoral process, it has walked “the walk of transparency, accountability and inclusiveness”. She pointed out that the Election has been peaceful, transparent and fair and has been widely accepted. She therefore assured Ghanaians that, “it is the will of the people that will be announced as the winner”.
The Collation Process
The Chairperson explained to Ghanaians that our results emanate from Pink Sheets at the Polling Stations, and the parties are satisfied with the elaborate process.
The Chairperson further explained that declaration of final results is hinged on processes that are enshrined in law, Constitutional Instrument (C.I.) 127.
The process starts from the Polling Stations Pink Sheets which are signed, copies given to agents of presidential candidates and a copy posted at the Polling Station. The Pink Sheets are then sent to Constituency Collation Centre and collated at that level. The Constituency Results Summary Sheets are also signed by the Returning Officer and the Party Agents, who are given copies of this form. A copy is then posted at the Constituency Collation Centre. From there, the results are sent to the Regional Collation Centres and collated in the full view of the party agents, who then sign and receive copies. A copy is also posted at the Regional Collation Centre. It is from there that the results are sent to the National Collation Centre via Fax. Once received, the results are also collated in the full view of the Party Agents, and a copy given to each agent present.
The results from the National Collation Centre are also posted at the National Collation Centre. Once this is done, the Returning Officer for the Presidential Election, in the person of the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, declares the winner of the Presidential Election.
Three regional results received
The Chairperson indicated during her press conference that results from Ahafo Region had been received at the National Collation Centre. Soon after her address, results from Central, Western North, Oti and Bono East Regions were also received.
She further assured the Nation that that the EC has 72 hours to declare and they hope to declare the Presidential Results within this time frame.
Delay in Results Collation
She stressed however that the delay in collation is as a result of some party supporters who besieged some Collation Centres, making it difficult for election officials to perform their duties. She said the Commission has directly engaged the leadership of the Political Parties to ask their supporters to leave the Collation Centres to allow election officials to work.
The Chairperson finally asked Citizens of Ghana to be patient as the Commission continues on the journey of transparency and inclusiveness to ensure that every vote cast and counted at the Polling Stations is collated.
