Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC) on Tuesday stated that the failure of a presiding officer to sign the Declaration of Results form (pink sheet) does not invalidate the results.
He said analysis of Election 2012 indicates that about 3.5 per cent of election results records were unsigned, but stressed that the failure to sign those pink sheets did not, in any way, affect the results.
Dr Afari-Gyan who was giving evidence-in-chief in the Election Petition case at the Supreme Court said failure by presiding officers to sign pink sheets amounts to irregularity. But if party agents sign without the presiding officer�s signature, the commission accept the results.
He said the Commission�s analysis showed that more than 96 per cent of pink sheets were signed by presiding officers while about 99 per cent were signed by polling agents of the different political parties that took part in the election.
Dr Afari-Gyan who was a presiding officer of the Presidential Elections said the presiding officers are burdened with so many responsibilities on Election Day, thus the failure by a minority of them to sign the pink sheets.
He said the presiding officers are not only responsible for supervising the voting process at the polling stations, but also do a whole gamut of things, which may distract their attention from signing the pink sheets.
Dr Afari-Gyan, witness for the EC ended his evidence-in-chief with a firm request to the court to reject the petitioners' claim of annulment of more than four million votes.
The EC Chairman stressed that the electoral directive: �No Verification, No Vote,� had an added a caveat � which was based on certain conditions...each occurrence of non-verification had to be examined �on its own merit�.
He explained that different scenarios could arise that may demand an exception.
�If I notice on the face of the pink sheet that there appears to be excess vote, I will subject it to close scrutiny before deciding.
�I will look at the ballot papers and look at whether they fell in the range of serial numbers on the ballot paper.�
Dr Afari-Gyan said before annulling any particular results on the pink sheet, �certain tests had to be carried out to be 100 per cent certain that there was over-voting�.
He explained that with the introduction of Biometric Registration and Biometric Verification machines, previous counter-accusations between political parties on alleged over-voting had been effectively dealt with.
On over voting he explained; classically over-voting, occurred where the numbers of voters are more than the number on the voters register.
Dr Afari-Gyan also explained that alleged polling stations with two pink sheets and different results were because of special voting.
The EC Chairman has also affirmed that: �Serial numbers have no significance in the preparation and collation of election results�.
On the issue of alleged 22 ghost polling stations; the EC Chairman explained that there were no such extra polling stations apart from the 22,006 polling stations that formed the basis of the declaration of Election 2012 results.
He said every polling station was supplied with a biometric verification machine. Where the machine broke down, voting was postponed to the next day.
Dr Afari-Gyan therefore concluded that: �The reliefs from the petitioners should not be granted because, in the view of the commission, no firm basis has been shown to merit the grant of those reliefs.�
Dr Afari-Gyan was led in evidence-in-chief by Quarshie-Idun, Counsel for the EC, second respondent in the Election Petition case filed by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, New Patriotic Party (NPP) Presidential Candidate; Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, running mate and Mr Jake Obestibi Lamptey NPP Chairman.
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