Source: www.thenewindependentonline.com
A group calling itself Youth In Focus Ghana (YIFG) in collaboration with Democrat Youth has embarked on community voter outreach education to complement the efforts of the Electoral Commission (EC) and the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) on voter education.
According to the group, the move is to educate voters to help minimize spoilt ballots in the upcoming December 7 general elections.
The team was at the Ashiaman market and later in the evening within the communities to educate electorates on the technicalities in the voting process.
Operations Director of YIFG Kennedy Agbai, in an interview, said the exercise has become necessary due to the increasing number of spoilt and rejected ballots during elections over the years.
He indicated that the aim of the education is to minimize the percentage of spoilt and rejected ballots in the December polls.
“In our elections over the years, it is obvious that rejected ballots continue to be on the rise, as such we thought it wise to educate first-time voters, our mothers and fathers on voting processes to minimize the percentage of rejected ballots in this year’s December polls although some have voted in previous elections.”
Executive Secretary of Democrats Youth Atsu Francis Ametame reemphasized that the exercise has revealed the technicalities in the voting process and that believes further education is required.
He said the exercise revealed that voters have been committing errors in voting over the years unknowingly.
“In fact today, I didn’t know people vote everyday and make mistakes without knowing. But today, it’s been revealed that people vote but don’t know they are technicalities. So we devoted time to educate them on the appropriate ways of voting. We thought them that when voting makes sure the thumbprint does not extend the boundaries of the box provided.”
He continued, “One critical thing is the folding, if you fold it horizontally first, the chances are that it will stain on another candidate’s photo so we thought them to fold the vertical first before you fold the horizontal, however it is also important to wipe your thumb with the tissue paper provided before folding to avoid multiple stains on the ballot.”
At the Ashiaman market, some traders after the education said, the exercise has enlightened their knowledge on voting although they’ve participated in voting in elections over the years.
Source: www.thenewindependentonline.com
