EC Ready for Polls, Election Materials Deployed.

Accra: The Electoral Commission (EC) has confirmed its preparedness to conduct free, fair, credible, and transparent elections on December 7, 2024. Addressing a press conference in Accra on Thursday evening, Mrs. Jean Mensa, Chairperson of the EC, announced that all necessary materials and equipment have been distributed to various regions across the country.According to Ghana News Agency, the materials distributed include stamp pads, thumb printer pads, ballot papers, ballot boxes, Biometric Verification Devices, projectors, and computers. Mrs. Mensa assured that these materials have been dispatched in sufficient quantities, ensuring no shortages are anticipated nationwide.The Commission has also trained and deployed nearly 210,000 temporary election officers tasked with conducting the elections across approximately 40,000 polling stations. Mrs. Mensa emphasized the importance of adhering to principles of fairness and transparency, urging officers to "count the votes accurately and fill out the forms pro fessionally" to truly reflect the will of the people.Encouraging first-time voters and the youth to engage actively in the electoral process, Mrs. Mensa urged them to cast their ballots on Saturday and to "say no to violence," avoiding being used as "tools for violence."Eligible voters will head to the polls on December 7, 2024, to elect a President and 276 Members of Parliament. This marks the 9th election since the establishment of the 4th Republic in 1993. An estimated 18,774,159 registered voters are expected to participate in voting at more than 40,000 polling stations across the nation.The EC also conducted two separate Special Voting exercises on December 2 and December 5, 2024, allowing those involved in election-related duties to vote ahead of the general polls. Mrs. Mensa reported a successful turnout for these exercises, with the least voter turnout at each polling center being around 83 percent. She expressed optimism for a similarly high turnout on election day and encouraged all voters to participate.