Ghanaians went to the polls last Friday to cast their ballots for president. Widely viewed as a poster child for stability and democracy in a region that is fraught by civil war and conflict, the West African country must now decide how to invest its newly discovered oil wealth.

The current elections placed the incumbent President John Dramani Mahama, 58 (@JDMahama), of the National Democractic Congress (NDC) against Nana Akufo-Addo, 64 (Nadaa2012), of the leading opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP). Mahama favors generating wealth by investing the country’s oil revenues in infrastructure, while Akufo-Addo counters that the way to raise the population out of poverty is to invest the money in free primary and secondary education. The average Ghanaian makes $4 per day, with the majority of the population yet to experience the benefits of oil revenues.

Technology dominated these elections, with candidates using popular social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook to spread their messages. But it was the introduction of a biometric voter identification system that captured the most attention.

Ghana is one of the first African countries to use biometric identification for voters.

Biometric literally means life measurement; it is associated with using physiological characteristics to identify people. In this case the fingerprints were used as an identifier, with voters required to pre-register their prints and then have them authenticated by the Biometric Voting Machines (BVM) at the polling station. The Electoral Commission (EC) announced at a press conference, "Among the decisions we have taken with the political parties is 'NVNV — No Verification, No Vote.”

But the NVNV policy was challenged when the BVMs broke down at some polling stations, causing long waits and frayed tempers. In some cases, citizens were not able to exercise their right to vote on Friday.

At polling stations where the BVMs failed, voting was extended on the following day. There were no significant protests.

Addressing the technical difficulty with the identification machines, President Mahama announced on Election Day, “[that] people should be able to vote. If problems occur with voter identification, the polling agents should verify [the voter] through his/her registration documents.”

Waiting in line to vote for a second day, Patricia Kadua, 28, told techPresident, “For free and fair elections, I prefer the machines. They will help the electoral process, but for me it is very painful to have to come back again.”

Garry Palmer, a voter waiting patiently in one of the long lines at a polling station, said he did not “… know too much about [the] machines, just that they don’t work. We have more transparency, but we lost efficiency.”

The Electoral Commission introduced the biometric identifiers as a means of preventing a recurrence of incidents that marred the 2008 elections, when there were allegations of fraudulent voter registration and ballot stuffing.

Dr. Afari-Gyan, chair of the Electroral Commission in Ghana, said, “[the] biometric system can, in theory, increase transparency.”

Sylvia Annor, the Principal Public Relations Officer of the EC, told techPresident, “Unlike the previous register, the current one provides [an] avenue for verification which reduces instances of multiple voting.” Ms. Annor added, “The procedure for the transmission of election … is thoroughly transparent and does not lend itself to manipulation.”

Five EC officials were assigned to each polling station, Mrs. Annor explained: "..[the voters] have the right to be able to observe what is happening and then if they have any objection, they may seek redress through the presiding officer that heads each polling station.”

The BVMs are powered by AA batteries, with the EC instructing polling officials to change the batteries every five hours. But in cases where the batteries were not changed in time, the machine required two hours to reboot.

Polling officers were trained to follow a strict, multi-layered verification process for each voter that starts with the presentation of a voting card with a barcode. The polling agent examines the photo, compares it to the person in front of him and then scans the card, bringing up the voter’s barcode and photo on a monitor. The voter then places a finger on the BVM, which confirms his or her identity via a LED light and an audio message. Only then may a citizen proceed to cast his ballot.


Biometric voting machine at a Ghanaian polling station (credit: Gabriela Barnuevo)

Since it became the first sub Saharan African country to free itself from colonial rule in 1957, Ghana has introduced a stable democratic system that is respected across Africa. There is widely held national pride in this status, with politicians generally perceived as members of an educated elite, who maintain Ghana’s good reputation in international circles.

"Ghanaians are proud and aware of their political maturity and see themselves as a model for the region," says Ruby Sandhu-Rojon (@RubySandhuR_UN), UNDP representative in Accra.

Dr. Christiana Thorpe, deputy head of the ECOWAS (Economic Community Of West African States) Observer Mission, encouraged the Ghanaian government and organizations to have a fallback system of paper registration for the BVMs in cases where the machines malfunction. Canadian observers witnessed several cases where verification equipment did not recognize fingerprints due to dirty hands.

“A machine is a machine and if you put absolute reliance on machines something will fail,” Dr. Thorpe stated. In its follow up to the elections, ECOWAS praised both the transparency and peacefulness of Ghana's elections and the advantages of the BVM system. The observer mission stressed in its report that the BMV system should be used for upcoming elections, despite the technical glitches

http://techpresident.com/news/wegov/23261/despite-some-glitches-ghanas-introduction-biometric-voting-system-widely-viewed-success

K

What Naija could not do ordinary Ghana did it

What is the number Ghana‘s population? How many registered voters do they have?

I wonder if we use our brain here in Nigeria. If you must know: Ghana became indipendent before Nigeria and have had more democratic governance than Nigeria.

Comparing Nigeria with Ghans makes no sense. Everybody that lives in Ghana including Nigerians are about 22million & their registered voters are about 10million how can u compare it with Nigeria where over 50million collected their PVC.
U can only compare Ghana‘s election with that of one state in Nigeria.

The average Nigerian politician doesn't want a transparent election and his supporters too are willing tools to be used to discredit the system.

The card reader is an innovation that has the capability of reducing greatly, the incidence of rigging and other fraud associated with the electoral process. It has its own drawbacks as we are using it for the first time. I myself I'm a victim as I have my TVC here but no PVC hence can't vote but I won't quarell with the process. Such is bound to happen sometimes. After all what's the use of all of us voting and crooks end up writing whatever result they feel like later as used to be the norm?

Until our elections truly become a reflection of the people's will, we will keep having crooks who don't give a damn in positions of governance ruining the nation and its economy.

There's little God will do for us if we are not ready to take charge of the processes that are fully within our power and control like simply voting rightly and transparently.

India used card readers and has 600million voters

Chigold101:
What is the number Ghana‘s population? How many registered voters do they have?

I wonder if we use our brain here in Nigeria. If you must know: Ghana became indipendent before Nigeria and have had more democratic governance than Nigeria.

Comparing Nigeria with Ghans makes no sense. Everybody that lives in Ghana including Nigerians are about 22million & their registered voters are about 10million how can u compare it with Nigeria where over 50million collected their PVC.
U can only compare Ghana‘s election with that of one state in Nigeria.

India is over 1 billion and they have no problems with technology-aided elections.

Let's stop making excuses for failure.

What we lack is the will and patience to do things the proper way

Chigold101:
What is the number Ghana‘s population? How many registered voters do they have?

I wonder if we use our brain here in Nigeria. If you must know: Ghana became indipendent before Nigeria and have had more democratic governance than Nigeria.

Comparing Nigeria with Ghans makes no sense. Everybody that lives in Ghana including Nigerians are about 22million & their registered voters are about 10million how can u compare it with Nigeria where over 50million collected their PVC.
U can only compare Ghana‘s election with that of one state in Nigeria.

India has 600 million voters and used card readers.

It worked in Ghana because Ghana has a competent electoral body and Chairman; unlike the pathetic bare-faced liar we've here, Jega, who not only lied that he's ready for election but that the card readers were in perfect conditions. Incompetent móron!!

bigass:


India has 600 million voters and used card readers.

thank you my sister. Did India use the card reader untried? How many mock election did India do before they got it right?

bigass:
What Naija could not do ordinary Ghana did it

what u mean by ordinary. Nobody is holding anyone from doing things right. If u want it. Then get it!!

Candour:


India is over 1 billion and they have no problems with technology-aided elections.

Let's stop making excuses for failure.

What we lack is the will and patience to do things the proper way

no sir am not making excuses for anybody. I am only against comaperism.

As for India how many times did India try & test the card reader in mock elections before using it for a general election?

I have a problem with Jega & INEC, they would have tested the card reader in smaller elections and make the corrections that is needed, but they did not. Jega kept lying about the whole thing. No car manufacturer brings a car that has not been thoroughly tested & tried into the market.

I suggested this to INEC, some of them shouted me down before they reluctantly held the mock election where the card failed about 60% still Jega whom only GOD knows what he has in mind, told the world that the card recorded 90% success.

Look at where Jega‘s failure is living us today.

Chigold101:
What is the number Ghana‘s population? How many registered voters do they have?

I wonder if we use our brain here in Nigeria. If you must know: Ghana became indipendent before Nigeria and have had more democratic governance than Nigeria.

Comparing Nigeria with Ghans makes no sense. Everybody that lives in Ghana including Nigerians are about 22million & their registered voters are about 10million how can u compare it with Nigeria where over 50million collected their PVC.
U can only compare Ghana‘s election with that of one state in Nigeria.

is this suppose to be an escape route for failure?

iamord:
is this suppose to be an escape route for failure?

no sir. Am not making excuses. But i hate comparism.

Jega & INEC failed & i am not suprised because he was never telling the world the truth.

Chigold101:
What is the number Ghana‘s population? How many registered voters do they have?

I wonder if we use our brain here in Nigeria. If you must know: Ghana became indipendent before Nigeria and have had more democratic governance than Nigeria.

Comparing Nigeria with Ghans makes no sense. Everybody that lives in Ghana including Nigerians are about 22million & their registered voters are about 10million how can u compare it with Nigeria where over 50million collected their PVC.
U can only compare Ghana‘s election with that of one state in Nigeria.

If you don't have anything intelligent to say .....Get the f**k out of here

Chigold101:
no sir am not making excuses for anybody. I am only against comaperism.

As for India how many times did India try & test the card reader in mock elections before using it for a general election?

I have a problem with Jega & INEC, they would have tested the card reader in smaller elections and make the corrections that is needed, but they did not. Jega kept lying about the whole thing. No car manufacturer brings a car that has not been thoroughly tested & tried into the market.

I suggested this to INEC, some of them shouted me down before they reluctantly held the mock election where the card failed about 60% still Jega whom only GOD knows what he has in mind, told the world that the card recorded 90% success.

Look at where Jega‘s failure is living us today.

There's no history of the number of times that India did mock elections before they got to this stage but when I remember that India is a 3rd world country like Nigeria, I know we have no excuse.

There's no election any where in the world that doesn't have hitches. INEC was prepared in the eventuality of card readers failing: the incident form. All a person who is interested in making the elections true had to do was to fill the incident form if the card reader failed. For places that had widespread problems, INEC already extended till Sunday.

The same reason why Nigerians create 3 lanes on a one lane street is the same reason we are not allowing this process to flow

bigass:
What Naija could not do ordinary Ghana did it

FOOL.If Ghana is ordinary then nigeria is a useless country because Ghana is far ahead of nigeria is everything. Just look at how u fools are organizing your election. Always disgracing Africa.MORONS....

bigass:


India has 600 million voters and used card readers.

My dear nigeria/inec is a work in progress when it comes to achieving electoral excellence especially using this pvc and card reader for d 1st time....meanwhile u can't compare nigeria with india in any way,they got the advancement and the experience and mind u they re homogenous across india unless us here..yorubas vs igbos vs hausa vs others having tribal sentiments in how we do tinz...why ghana cud achieve that because they got small fraction of eligible voters compare to nigeria. Bro the whole ghana no reach only lagos in term of population o..so imagine that inec is only conducting election in lagos. Even d ghana sef would definitely have one or two issues too using it. U can't tell me all P.units were all rossy ...whatever way..say after me.......sai baba !!!

OXYGEN011:
FOOL.If Ghana is ordinary then nigeria is a useless country because Ghana is far ahead of nigeria is everything. Just look at how u fools are organizing your election. Always disgracing Africa.MORONS....

Bro e no reach to abuse anyone na.... Funny enough u can't change his opinion if u abuse him. U can't change what u can't change with abuses o...meanwhile did u vote for change ?