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Chairperson of Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Mensa, has proposed the introduction of a simplified e-voting system to curb the persistent issue of rejected ballots in the country’s elections.
Speaking at the Ninth Annual Continental Forum for Electoral Management Bodies in Accra on March 12, Jean Mensa explained that replacing the manual thumb-printing method with a direct recording electronic voting system—where voters select their preferred candidate on a screen—would eliminate errors leading to invalid votes.
An EC audit of Ghana’s elections from 1992 to 2020 revealed that between 1% and 3% of votes were rejected. In the 2020 General Election, the percentage of invalid ballots stood at 2.33%, slightly decreasing to 2.08% in 2024.
The EC attributed the issue to voter illiteracy, dissatisfaction with candidates, and excessive caution by electoral officers. Jean Mensa warned that these factors could influence election outcomes, making it crucial to address the problem.
Jean Mensa emphasized that Africa must embrace technological advancements in elections, stressing that Ghana’s transition to e-voting would be gradual and not rushed. The EC will also focus on public education and electoral officer training to enhance voting accuracy.
Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo echoed these concerns, warning that the high rate of rejected ballots could undermine Africa’s democracy. Meanwhile, Fabio Bargiacchi, Executive Director of the European Centre for Electoral Support, called for greater collaboration among African election bodies to share best practices.
