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Ghanaians head to the polls today

Over 15 million Ghanaians are to go to the polling stations today to cast their votes for the candidate who will lead the country for the next 4 years.

The much awaited day of the recent period has finally arrived: December 7, the day of Ghana’s presidential and parliamentary election.

Over 15 million Ghanaians are expected to cast their votes for the candidate who will lead the country for the next 4 years today.

Seven presidential candidates are gunning for the presidency, but the toughest position will apparently be between President John Mahama of the governing National Democratic Congress, (NDC) and Nana Akufo-Addo of the largest opposition New Patriotic Party.

Other candidates who are contesting include Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings of the National Democratic Party; Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom of the Progressive People’s Party; Ivor Greenstreet of the Convention People’s Party (CPP); Edward Mahama of the People’s National Convention, as well as, Jacob Osei Yeboah who is the independent candidate in the race.

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Ghana’s electoral rules indicate that all the political parties contesting the elections are to wind-up all campaign activities 24 hours before polls day of December 7.

The media is also directed to stop all political advertisement within the same period.

As such, many of the presidential candidates made a final appeal to voters over the weekend when they mounted their various platforms earlier this week during their last rallies.

Nana Addo, who addressed a teeming crowd of supporters at the Trade Fair Centre in Accra on Sunday, promised to fix the Ghanaian economy through sound economic policies.

He boasted that the NPP has the men to lead the country from a stagnant economy to one that offers an opportunity to all.

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According to him, the NPP will revamp the country’s health sector.

“I am coming to restore and put new life into the NHIS scheme,” he said.

He also promised to restore the nursing and teacher trainee allowance and revamp the adult education.

He further stressed on his one-district-one factory policy, one-village-one-dam policy and one million dollars to all 275 constituencies.

On his part, President John Mahama indicated during his final rally at the Accra sports stadium that “Ghana has improved under my watch” and added that he has by far improved the living conditions of the Ghanaians and implemented social intervention programmes.

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The incumbent John Mahama is entering this election with hope, despite being accused by his opponents of mismanaging the economy and allowing corruption to flourish.

The two main candidates at the height of the campaign have heavily criticised each other over claims of voter intimidation and questions surrounding the independence of the Electoral Commission.

Things to note about the candidates

For Edward Nasigri Mahama of the PNC, this will be the 71-year-old medical doctor's fifth attempt at the Presidency (with previous attempts in 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008).

However, for Ivor Greenstreet (CPP) and Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings (NDP), this will be their first attempt each.

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The Independent candidate, Jacob Osei Yeboah (48) is the youngest of the seven Presidential aspirants. The NPP's Nana Akufo-Addo is the oldest at 72.

What makes today’s elections special is the fact that it is the first time a woman in the person of the former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings is contesting in the country’s presidential election.

This election will also be the first in Ghana's history to feature a disabled presidential candidate - Ivor Kobina Greenstreet of the CPP.

There are as many as 15,712,499 registered voters for today’s Elections.

There will be 275 seats of Parliament to be contested, and this figure represents 275 constituencies.

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Ashanti Region has the highest number of seats (47). The Upper West Region has the lowest (11).

There will be 28,992 polling stations across the 275 constituencies in the 2016 Elections.

The Convention People's Party (CPP) are the most successful political party in Ghana's popular electoral history with five wins (1951, 1954, 1956, 1960 and 1965). The National Democratic Congress (NDC) are the second most successful with four wins (1992, 1996, 2008 and 2012).

Should the NDC, who have been in power since 2009, win the 2016 General Elections, they would extend their term to 12 years, which would be the second-longest consecutive tenure of any democratically elected government in Ghana's history.

Today’s election will also be the first in Ghana's fourth Republic not to be supervised by Dr Kwadwo Afari Gyan.

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The 71-year-old helmed the Ghana Electoral Commission as chairman from its formation in 1993, supervising the 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 elections before retiring.

He was replaced by 47-year-old Madam Charlotte Osei, who will be making her electoral debut in this election.

Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission has said it is ready for the election and has set some ground rules and measures.

Below are some of the rules:

  • Sale of alcohol within 500 meters of the polling station is prohibited
  • o    Between 5pm on Wednesday and 6am on December 8, the use of motor bikes is prohibited. Motorbikes are not permitted within 400 meters of a polling station on election day
  • o    The name-reference table is the first table should go to on Election Day
  • o    The verification desk is the second table, where the voters' biometric barcode will be scanned
  • o    If the BVD fails to capture one finger, try other fingers - if there is a match there'll be a green light or manual verification will be done if the BVD fails to verify all 10 fingers
  • o    At the first ballot table, a ballot paper will be detached from the booklet; check that it has been stamped
  • o    When you drop the presidential ballot in the box, proceed to the next ballot table for the parliamentary ballot
  • o    When you finish voting, please go home and return at 5pm to observe counting and declaration
  • o    Everyone must see that it is a single ballot paper that is being given to a voter
  • o    You can only enter the voting screen with the ballots - no pen, food or drinks
  • o    All electoral officials will wear gloves before collation to prevent deliberate spoiling of ballots
  • o    Results from polling station will be captured into an electronic system
  • o    Polling station results will be scanned and electronically transmitted to the national collation centre
  • o    Each region will have a different colour for validation stamp to prevent any possible importation of fake ballots into the process
  • o    No political party agent is allowed to inspect the voter’s ID card of voters in the queue
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According to the official timetable of the Electoral Commission (EC), the results of the 2016 Ghana General Elections will be officially announced on Friday, December 9, 2016.

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