The exercise, which began on September 12, is taking place at all Electoral Commission (EC) district offices across the country.
Dr. Bawumia emphasized that the fundamental right to vote begins with the responsibility of registering with the Electoral Commission (EC). He encouraged all eligible citizens to actively engage in the registration process to ensure they are eligible to vote in the upcoming 2024 elections.
In a Facebook post, Dr. Bawumia highlighted the importance of civic participation and the role of voter registration in enabling citizens to exercise their democratic right to vote in elections.
The EC commenced the Limited Voters Registration Exercise on September 12, despite facing an injunction application from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and four other political parties. In an official statement, the Electoral Commission announced that the registration would be conducted at all 268 District Offices.
"The 2023 Voters Registration Exercise will commence on Tuesday, 12th September 2023, and conclude on Monday, 2nd October 2023. Individuals who have reached the age of 18 since the last registration exercise and those who, for various reasons, did not register in 2020, are encouraged to visit the District Office in their place of residence. To register, they will need to provide either their Ghana Card or Ghana Passport as identification. Eligible applicants who do not possess either of these identification documents are required to be vouched for by two (2) persons who are already registered voters to guarantee their registration," the Electoral Commission stated.
However, five political parties, including the NDC, the Convention People's Party (CPP), the All People's Congress, the Liberal Party of Ghana, and the Great Consolidated Popular Party, filed a lawsuit on September 7th. They are challenging the EC's decision to limit the upcoming voter registration exercise to its district offices, arguing that this decision could disenfranchise numerous eligible voters, especially those residing in remote areas.
The Supreme Court was expected to schedule a hearing for the application shortly after it was filed; however, as of now, a hearing date has not been confirmed.
The ongoing legal battle has raised questions about its potential impact on the voter registration exercise.