Preparations Ramp Up as Ghana’s Election Day Draws Near.

Accra: As Ghana approaches Election Day on Saturday, December 7, 2024, citizens are preparing to elect a new President and 276 Members of Parliament. A total of 12 presidential candidates are actively campaigning across the country, focusing primarily on policy discussions, with few unexpected developments so far.According to Ghana News Agency, the Electoral Commission (EC) has already distributed ballot papers to most regions, except for the Western and Eastern Regions. Ballots for these regions were recalled due to a defaced ballot paper discovered in the Eastern Region, prompting the EC and political parties to appoint three different printing firms to reprint the ballots. As a result, these regions were unable to participate in the Special Voting exercise on Monday, December 2, 2024.Special voting for the Eastern and Western regions will now take place on Thursday, December 5, 2024. This would allow eligible voters, such as election officials, security personnel, and media practitioners, to cast their ballots ahead of the main election. Voting will start from 0700 hours to 1700 hours. Like Monday's special voting, these votes will not be counted immediately but will be included in the overall tally on December 7 at the Constituency Collation Centres. The Returning Officers will record the results separately for both the presidential and parliamentary races before adding them to the final count from all polling stations.In the meantime, all 12 presidential candidates signed a Presidential Peace Pact last week, pledging to promote peace during and after the elections. The National Elections Security Taskforce also met with political parties to review security arrangements. Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), issued a stern warning against the use of unauthorised security forces on Election Day.As Election Day nears, presidential and parliamentary candidates are wrapping up their campaigns and continuing to engage with voters across the country to present their policies. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are preparing to conclude their months-long campaigning with simultaneous rallies in Accra on Thursday, December 5, 2024. The NPP will host its 'Possibilities Victory Rally' at the UG Sports Directorate Park, located opposite the University of Ghana Sports Stadium, while the NDC will hold its final rally under the theme 'Resetting Ghana - Let's Finish Strong' at Zurak Park in Madina at 1200 hours.Ghana has a strong track record of peaceful elections and smooth transitions of power between ruling and opposition parties. Since 1992, the country has conducted eight elections, including three occasions where power was successfully transferred from a ruling party to an opposition party. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, whose second term concludes on January 7, 2025, has assured the nation that he will peacefully hand over power at the end of his tenure.