Central region: Quiet and calm election, low turnout in parts

The Central region has been relatively calm and quiet so far, eight hours into the voting, reports Shirley Asiedu-Addo.
Enthusiasm and turnout in many parts were also low.

One million seven hundred and fifty-two thousand, one hundred and sixty-five voters are expected to vote across the region.

This figure is an 11 per cent increase over the 1, 568,342 voters in 2020. 

The region has 65 candidates contesting the 23 parliamentary seats.

There were modest queues, relatively shorter queues at the various polling stations the Graphic Online visited and less stressful processes.

All the polling stations in various constituencies across the region visited were generally peaceful so far, with an average voter taking about two minutes to go through the voting process.

Presiding officers generally commended all actors so far: security, political party agents and voters for their comportment.
All presiding officers and some security personnel across the various polling stations the Graphic Online spoke testified to a smooth electoral process, indicating the electorate had been cooperative.

Voters who have cast their ballots so far have praised the efficiency of the verification devices, saying that it has helped reduce queues at the polling stations.

They indicated that the biometric verification devices (BVD) had been effective and helped reduce the time one spent in queue and voting.

The vice presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress, Prof. Nana Jane Opoku Agyemang, cast her vote earlier in the morning at the M/A JHS A at Komenda.

Afternoon rounds
Our afternoon rounds indicated that some polling stations have had relatively low voter turnout.

Cape Coast North
The Presiding Officer at the Education Flat at Third Ridge, Beatrice Amoah, said
200 out of 415 had voted.

She said she was hoping more would come. 

At the Education Flat at Third Ridge Polling Station B, 189 voters out of 414 had cast their votes as of 2:45 pm.

The presiding officer, Dennis Asiamah Yeboah, said he was hopeful that about 250 to 300 would cast their votes before the close of elections.

Also at the Mary Queen of Peace primary school polling station, 157 out of 390 had cast their votes as of 2:50 pm.

Anita Adeonu, an electoral officer at the polling station, said the turnout was a bit low but was expectant that more would cast their votes before the close of the exercise.

Some of the electorates the Graphic Online spoke to said they were taking care of business that would bring them their daily incomes rather than rush and vote for leaders who did not have them at heart.

"They won't come and do anything for me. Let me sell my things and get something to eat," one of them said.

Assin Central
From Assin Central, Joana Kumi reports that the Presiding Officer at the Railway JHS Fosu 1 in the Assin Central Constituency, Bernard B. Forson, said as of 2:15 PM, 163 out of the 391 registered voters had cast their ballots.

The atmosphere, she said, had been calm and orderly, with no reported incidents or disruptions.

Again, the Presiding Officer at the Catholic Primary, Foso Odumasi 1, Isaac Lanyo, said as of 1:57 PM, a total of 204 out of 555 registered voters had successfully cast their votes.

The Presiding Officer at the Catholic Primary, Fosu Odumasi 2 Polling Station, Joshua Lawson, indicated that as of 12:55 PM, 194 out of 503 registered voters had participated in the election at his polling station. 

Cape Coast South  
From the Cape Coast South Constituency, Francisca Eshun, reports that the constituency recorded relatively high turnouts in some of the polling stations.
The Presiding Officer at the YMCA  Polling Station, Christian Kpeli, said 345 voters had cast their vote out of the expected 639 voters as of 2:09 pm.

At the Yawuda Gomu Polling Station, Presiding Officer Godfred Bishops said 245 voters have cast their votes and they are expecting 304 as of 2:30 pm.

The Presiding officer at the  National Investment Bank Polling Station, Albert Wilson-Ewusi, said 336 of 720 voters had cast their votes as of 2.36 pm.