Several eligible voters who were turned away from taking part in the Special Voting exercise in Tema yesterday by officials of the Electoral Commission (EC) became very frustrated.
The reason for the action by the EC officials was that the voters, who were mostly security personnel, EC workers and some media practitioners, could not find their names in the Special Voters’ register prepared by the commission.
Tension was very high at the various polling stations visited by DAILY GUIDE as security officers who could not find their names poured out their anger on the EC officials.
Some of them threatened to abandon their posts to go and vote on the day of the general election, if they were not allowed to vote during the special voting.
The situation was not different in all the constituencies. At the Tema East Constituency, out of the total number of 313 persons expected to cast the ballots, 177 had voted as at about 1:18 pm, with several people being prevented from voting.
Tema Central had recorded 168 votes out of 880 as some of them were unable to find their names at about 11:50 am.
The missing names syndrome was all over the various constituencies.
The disenfranchised voters expressed frustration that they had travelled from various places to come and cast their ballots only to be asked to go elsewhere because their names were not in the register.
At the Ashaiman Constituency the District Police Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Seth Tay and his Crime Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Hebert Sosu also had their names missing.
In the constituency, out of a total of 933 special voters 320 were able to vote in the exercise which went on smoothly.
At the Sege Constituency where the special voting, which was held at the Sege new court premises, coincided with the commissioning of an e-Government Platform Project.
NDC supporters were seen in Kia trucks with party paraphernalia and loud sound system at the venue, which is just about 60 meters away from the polling station.
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