The Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana has announced that in the upcoming district-level election and subsequent polls, there would be no need for indelible ink.
Indelible Ink is a semi-permanent dye applied to voters’ fingerprints to indicate who has exercised their franchise and prevents double voting.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the December 19 district-level election, the EC chair, Jean Mensa, said this was part of measures by the Commission to improve the electoral process and ensure a robust identification system.
“The issue of indelible ink, the question is when we were not doing biometric we were basically using your face, your card. We look at your face and we say this picture looks like you.
“The biometric technology makes it difficult for a person who has been verified and cast their vote to come a second time. So, there is no need for indelible ink. Once you have been verified, it goes into the system and you cannot come back a second time,” she said.
According to her, the biometric identification system flags anyone who attempts multiple registrations; therefore, anyone who has been verified after casting their ballot cannot vote again.
Expressing confidence in the new system, she threw a challenge to anyone to attempts voting twice to see if they would not be caught.
“Once you have been verified, it goes into the system and you cannot come back a second time. You can try it, if you wish at this election. Of course, it will be deemed as an electoral offence. Because of biometric technology your facial features are recognised, or your fingerprint is recognised. You cannot go a second time,” she added.