Allowing voters to recast ballot in elections:
A necessary reform to maintain the integrity of Ghana’s elections
Elections in Ghana are crucial to the health of its democracy. However, a persistent issue during parliamentary and presidential elections is the high number of rejected ballots, which undermines the true reflection of the people’s will. This situation calls for a policy reform that allows voters to recast their ballot if they realise an error before depositing it into the ballot box.
The problem of spoiled ballots
Counting from the 1992 general election; the rejected ballot in the 1992 election was about 149,813, in 1996, it was about 111,108, the 2000 election recorded about 119,372. The number went up to 205,843 in 2008 and again to about 243,280 in the 2012 election. The 2016 election recorded about 167,349.
The menace though had marginally reduced in the 2016 as compared to 2012 election was higher than the votes obtained by the other political parties aside the main two, NPP and NDC; the Progressive People’s Party had about 106,99, Conventions Peoples Party had about 25,552, Peoples National Convention had about 22,214 and the National Democratic Party had about 16, 935.
In Ghana’s last general election, 2020, out of the 12 candidates, the rejected ballot performed more than the remaining 10. In a fact, the rejected ballot has performed twice more than the party that took the third position, Ghana Union Movement (GUM).
Causes of voting errors
1. First-time voters: First-time voters often face confusion and anxiety, leading to mistakes on the ballot paper. Allowing these voters to correct errors would promote a more inclusive electoral process.
2. Health issues: Conditions such as tremors or poor eyesight can cause mistakes. Voters should not be disenfranchised due to such issues.
3. Voting for the wrong candidate: Some voters may spoil their ballots upon realising they voted for the wrong candidate. A survey of 50 voters revealed that they will intentionally spoil their ballot if they realised, they have made a mistake. Interestingly some said they would tear it up.
Policy implementation strategies
1. Special ballot papers: A distinct ballot paper should be issued to voters who request a replacement, clearly marked to indicate it is a replacement.
2. Training and Awareness: Election officials must be trained to handle replacement ballot requests, and public awareness campaigns should educate voters on their right to request a new ballot if they make a mistake.
3. Regulatory framework: A clear framework should govern the issuance and management of replacement ballots, including guidelines for verifying the voter’s identity and marking the original ballot as void.
Examples from other democracies Several countries allow voters to correct their ballots, thereby reducing the number of spoiled ballots; in the United States, may states permit voters to request a new ballot if they spoil the original one. For example, in California, voters can request up to two replacement ballots. Canada also, voters can receive a new ballot if they spoil their initial one during federal elections as well as the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
Addressing potential concerns
• Potential abuse: To mitigate abuse, stringent measures should be in place to ensure replacement ballots are issued only to voters who have genuinely made a mistake. Voters requesting a replacement could sign a declaration stating they spoiled their original ballot unintentionally.
• Administrative workload: While this policy may increase the administrative workload, the benefits of reducing spoiled ballots and ensuring accurate election results outweigh the additional tasks. Proper training and resources can help manage the process efficiently.
• Additional cost: The cost of printing extra ballots is justified to ensure every vote counts. For presidential elections, a candidate needs 50 per cent plus one vote to win, making every vote crucial.
Conclusion
It’s more cost-effective to print extra ballots to correct the voter’s errors in order to reduce the high number of rejected ballots since the main purpose of an election is to ensure that every vote counts. Especially in presidential elections, where a candidate needs 50 per cent plus one vote (50%+1) to win, every vote is crucial and must be fully counted.
The writer is the Lead administrator, Department of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, University of Environment and Sustainable Development
BY BRIGHT TETTEH
NYARKO
