Curbing low turnout in assembly elections vital

The district level elections (DLEs) are one of the most important polls for participatory democracy in the country.

Continuous efforts must, therefore, be made to ensure massive participation in them to ensure their success.

However, over the years, elections at the local level have recorded discouraging low voter turnouts, in spite of the education that goes on before the elections.

The low turnout is largely blamed on little motivation on the part of the citizenry which results in apathy Not exactly surprising, the just-ended DLEs that took place last Tuesday recorded a similar low turnout, despite the vigorous door-to-door campaigns by aspirants across the country and institutions such as the National Commission for Civic Education and the Electoral Commission.

Regrettably, the various polling stations did not record high numbers of voters trooping in to vote for their desired assembly or unit committee members.

Beyond the low turnout, Daily Graphic reports also indicated a boycott in some areas, particularly due to the absence of good roads and other social amenities.

This trend is very disturbing for the democratic growth process.

This notwithstanding, there are lessons to be learnt from the process, as a nation determined to deepen its democratic credentials.

Of utmost significance is the need for extensive education on the importance of DLEs and for more sustained engagements in the form of massive public sensitisation by all stakeholders to whip up public interest and further mobilise the citizenry towards attaining higher voter turnout in future DLEs.

As a growing democracy, this move is necessary to offer a broad understanding for the citizenry to appreciate the importance of local elections to the accelerated development of the country.

We note with satisfaction the generally successful outcome of the polls, but it is still not refreshing that we keep recording poor turnouts. For this reason, every effort must be made to ensure that the awareness creation effort reaches the doorstep of every Ghanaian.

And this can be done through public sensitisation, regional launches, community durbars, stakeholder meetings, focus group discussions, film shows, dawn and dusk broadcasts, field visits to identifiable groups, interpersonal engagements and awareness raising events in schools.

The Daily Graphic believes that it must be an all-hands-on-deck approach to get voters to exercise their franchise during such important national exercises.

The media must also accept the challenge to support state agencies to educate and mobilise Ghanaians to take part in future DLEs.

We also think that elected assembly members can motivate the electorate to turn out to vote not only when elections are due but by the way and manner they conduct themselves after winning their seats.

Some of them go to bed and are only seen or heard fighting for allowances during assembly meetings or kicking against the nomination of district chief executives for perceived political reasons.

It is a fact that some assembly members never interact with the electorate after the elections, neither do they undertake in any development projects, be it clean-up exercises or attending to the welfare matters of the community, such as mobilising them for self-help projects.

The Daily Graphic is of the conviction when we all act our part, the electorate will rise up to the occasion to record high voter turnouts during DLEs.