Yiaga, emphasized the importance of transparency in election procurement processes, including involving political parties, civil society, and the media in monitoring activities such as ballot printing. Photo Credit: Aljazeera
Yiaga Africa an election observer group, has unveiled its preliminary findings on Ghana’s December 7, 2024, general election, recommending leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and digital tools to improve transparency and address disputes effectively in subsequent polls.
With over 18.7 million registered voters, 12 presidential candidates, and 801 parliamentary hopefuls, Ghana’s democratic resilience was on full display.
Yiaga Africa, observed the polls across three regions—Greater Accra, Central, and Volta. Their mission focused on election administration, voter inclusivity, and the use of technology.
Addressing a news conference in Abuja, Dr. Aisha Abdullahi, Head of Yiaga Africa’s delegation, commended Ghana for its progress in electoral governance. “Despite initial concerns over voter register inaccuracies and partisan appointments, the EC implemented reforms, including cleaning the voter register, involving party agents in ballot paper printing, and introducing measures to enhance transparency in results collation”.
Dr. Abdullahi, said Key innovations, such as allowing manual verification for voters without ID cards and adopting user-friendly ballot paper designs featuring candidates’ photos and party symbols, significantly reduced invalid votes and voter disenfranchisement.
Challenges in Technology Use Highlight Opportunities
According to Her, while Ghana demonstrated resilience in its election administration, the limited use of technology for real-time results transmission emerged as a concern. “Currently, regional results are sent to the national collation center via fax, leaving polling station-level results inaccessible online”.
Good Practices in Ghana’s Election
The report also identified several practices that set Ghana apart as a model for democratic governance, which includes:
- Political party agents affixing seals on ballot boxes to ensure security.
- Special voting arrangements for essential workers, such as election officials, security personnel, and media practitioners, which ensured inclusivity.
- Prisoners’ voting rights, implemented through a landmark Supreme Court ruling, demonstrated Ghana’s commitment to democracy for all citizens.
- Issue-based campaigns, characterized by high voter literacy, reduced acrimony and focused on tackling Ghana’s economic challenges.
Yiaga Africa, applauded the introduction of parallel result tallying by political parties, which helped reduce tensions and improve the credibility of election outcomes.
Actionable Recommendations for Africa
Yiaga Africa, issued 11 key recommendations to strengthen electoral processes across the continent. Election management bodies (EMBs) were urged to adopt technologies such as AI for real-time results transmission and voter authentication. The report also called for reforms to enable prisoners’ and proxy voting in other African nations.
Building on Ghana’s Democratic Legacy
Dr. Aisha Abdullahi, Chair of the ESOM delegation, lauded Ghana’s democratic institutions and stakeholders for their commitment to peaceful elections. “Ghana continues to set an example for the continent by prioritizing transparency, inclusivity, and active citizenship in its electoral process,” she said.
Samson Itodo, Yiaga Africa’s Executive Director, added, “The lessons from Ghana’s election provide a blueprint for improving electoral governance across Africa. These findings will inform future reforms aimed at strengthening democracy in the region.”
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