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The Electoral Commission (EC) has voiced apprehensions regarding reports indicating the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Greater Accra region’s intention to utilize drones during the upcoming general election.
The EC emphasized that such actions would breach voters’ electoral privacy and violate established security protocols, thus will not be sanctioned.
The EC’s response came after remarks made by Emmanuel Nii Ashie Moore, the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the NDC, who clarified that the proposed drone deployment aims to secure two million votes in the forthcoming elections.
Moore asserted that the primary goal is to bolster the NDC’s monitoring capabilities to deter potential electoral malpractices, with plans underway to train constituency executives on drone usage for monitoring ground activities.
However, in an interview with JoyNews, Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, the Director of Electoral Services at the EC, revealed that the Commission has not received formal notification from the NDC regarding their drone deployment intentions.
Dr. Quaicoe emphasized that authorizing such actions would contravene security protocols and compromise the confidentiality of the voting process.
“Polling stations are security zones, so they will have to apply to the security people for permission to be granted. They will have to apply to the Electoral Commission for permission to be granted,” Dr. Quaicoe remarked.
He expressed concerns about the potential impact on voters’ confidence in the secrecy of their ballots if drones were present around polling stations, highlighting the paramount importance of safeguarding the integrity of the voting process.
Dr. Quaicoe reiterated the EC’s commitment to upholding the sanctity of polling stations as secure environments for voters to freely exercise their democratic rights.
