[ 2016-12-05 ]

Don't worry, your name has not vanished - EC calms Kwami Sefa Kayi
The Electoral Commission has moved to calm the
frustrations of early voters who could not cast
their ballot in the special voting exercise,
explaining they may get another chance.

These voters were unable to vote possibly because
their names were not transferred from the general
voters register to the special voting list.

The Head of the EC's Communications Eric Kofi
Dzakpasu explained this on Joy FM's Super Morning
Show Monday.

For example, a voter like popular broadcaster
Kwame Sefa Kayi who feared he was disenfranchised
can vote after all, Mr Dzakpasu noted.

Kwami Sefa Kayi, host of Peace FM Morning Show
Kokrokoo, complained he could not find his name at
the Tema Community 2 polling station in Tema West
constituency of the Greater Accra region.

'My name has vanished,' he told Joy News on the
second day of special voting Sunday after he first
encountered the problem on the first day of
special voting last Thursday,

"It's not just me...there are quite a number of us
out here and maybe I will go and try again on
Wednesday," the disappointed Broadcaster
indicated.

Several thousands of security officers,
journalists and even the electoral commission's
own officials were unable to vote early.

The special voters are early voters who by their
professional categories cannot vote on the general
election day December 7.

They are journalists, health professionals and
security officers whose services are deemed
essential on voting day hence the early
opportunity.

But explaining the cause of the hitches, EC
Communications Director Eric Kofi Dzakpasu chalked
it down to the improper transfer of the names of
these professionals from the general voters
register to the special voting register.

In the case of the Peace FM broadcaster, the
National Media Commission was responsible for
transferring special voting staff of media
organisations to the EC.

Kofi Dzakpasu suspects, Kwami Sefa Kayi's name
never made it to the EC.

"One, maybe in the compilation [by the NMC] his
name was omitted in the final list that came to
the Electoral Commission"

"Two, the name came maybe with inadequate
information, that is, the ID card number and your
polling station code"

"Or three, it came with all this information but
were not accurate"

"Or finally it came but in the keying process [by
the EC], there was an error in the input

He said one of these four reasons could explain
why a qualified voter who has applied to be a
special voter could not find his name on the
register.

He explained that all these affected persons have
no cause to worry because their names will be
transferred back to the general voters register.

It means they can vote in the December general
elections Wednesday. He assured the Peace FM
presenter that he has no cause to fear
disenfranchisement.

"With all respect, Kwami's name did not vanish.
His name is in the register. His name did not
appear on the special voters list so he couldn't
have voted".

"So on Wednesday, his name will be on his register
in his polling station", Eric Kofi Dzakpasu
stressed.

Source - Joyfm

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