Okaikwei Central polls end smoothly

The Pentecost Church Polling Station 2 at Darkuman Nyamekye, where four polling stations were sited, started voting exactly at 7a.m. and the exercise was smooth without any incident, Samuel S. Bio reports. 

However, the Presiding Officer (PO), Emmanuel Adote Pappoe, expressed worry that about five per cent of all voters who reported at the station to cast their ballots could not find their names on the voters register, though they claimed they registered at the centre. 

He suggested that the Electoral Commission (EC) should find a way to make it easier for people who had been placed in different polling stations to locate their names. 

As of 1.55 p.m, 200 out of 417 voters had exercised their franchise. 

Mr Pappoe commended party agents for their conduct that had made the election at the polling station orderly and peaceful.

At polling station 1, the Presiding officer, Umar Sanda, said 192 people out of 417 had voted. and that he had served as a PO in previous elections, and expressed satisfaction with the voting process, saying that, “there is improvement in voting numbers.” 

Mr Sanda complained about duplication of the Pink Sheet, adding that the Pink Sheet for the 2020 presidential election did not have two original sheets unlike this year’s. 

He said there was an insertion of a yellow sheet that would prevent recording on the first original sheet from reflecting on other sheets beneath the yellow sheet. 

He said that became a major challenge as some of the party agents raised issues with the situation, but said the situation had been resolved with the understanding of the political party agents.

At polling station 3, the PO, Godwin Senyo Addae, said as of 2 p.m. 85 voters out of 212 had cast their ballots. 

Mr Addae suggested to the EC to factor the cost of renting canopies and chairs into its activities to prevent any disruption to the electoral process and also secure the safety of election materials should the rain set in. 

He said currently, the use of canopies rested solely on the POs, the cost of which was not refunded to them.

At the ACC primary 2 polling station at Fadama in the Okaikwei Central Constituency, the PO, Ms Hawa Abass, described the exercise as smooth and orderly, adding that 442 voters out of 625 had cast their ballots as of 3.43p.m.
Similarly, at Blessed Assurance Preparatory School Polling Station 2 at Fadama in the Okaikwei Constituency, the PO, Mr Isaac Owusu, indicated that the exercise had been generally smooth, but added that many voters were not finding their names on the register and had to be redirected to other centres.  
As of 3.55p.m, 367 voters out of 686 had cast their ballots.