The Electoral Commission (EC) has declared that all votes cast in favour of the late Madam Akua Donkor during the 2024 Presidential Election will be considered as Rejected Ballots. This decision stems from the inclusion of her image and party logo on the presidential ballot paper despite her demise.
In a statement issued by the Deputy Chairman of Operations, Samuel Tettey, the EC clarified:
“Votes cast in favour of Madam Akua Donkor will NOT be added to the Valid Votes Cast. The Commission has informed its permanent and temporary staff, as well as agents of the presidential candidates, about this directive,” the EC said in a press release on Friday, November 22.
Legal Implications of Voting for a Deceased Candidate
The EC has also reminded the public that voting for a deceased candidate constitutes the offence of personation, as outlined in Section 32(b) of PNDC Law 284:
“A person commits the offence of personation if that person votes for a person whom that person knows or has reasonable grounds to believe to be dead.”
The EC issued a warning:
“A criminal offence can attract a criminal investigation, if the Police choose to pursue offenders. Since we use thumbprints to vote, these can be analysed and traced to the individuals involved, making it easy to identify and prosecute offenders."
If convicted, individuals face penalties including:
A fine not exceeding 500 penalty units (₵6,000),
Imprisonment for up to two years, or
Both a fine and imprisonment.
Additionally, convicted persons will be disqualified from registering as voters or participating in any public election for five years following the end of their imprisonment term.
Call for Public Awareness
The EC has urged the media to educate voters about these legal implications to prevent any misunderstandings.
Nobody should mistakenly think they can get away with it if they vote for a dead person. The law is the law.
The Electoral Commission’s directive is aimed at ensuring transparency and upholding the integrity of the electoral process as Ghana prepares for the polls.
