{"id":176424,"date":"2015-12-22T18:19:32","date_gmt":"2015-12-22T18:19:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=176424"},"modified":"2015-12-22T18:23:11","modified_gmt":"2015-12-22T18:23:11","slug":"2016-polls-ec-limits-polling-stations-allows-manual-verification","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2015\/12\/2016-polls-ec-limits-polling-stations-allows-manual-verification\/","title":{"rendered":"2016 polls: EC limits polling stations, allows manual verification"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Electoral Commission has slashed the number of polling stations for the 2016 general elections from 30,000 to 29,000.<\/p>\n

The commission has also\u00a0agreed to introduce manual verification aside the routine biometric, for people whose particulars appear on the voters’ register but may be rejected by the biometric process.<\/p>\n

[contextly_sidebar id=”bnjIkb89YGgfxkZwm74D2kyjM6YiIBRX”]The decision was taken at an Inter-party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting which was held to discuss electoral reforms and recommendations ahead of next year\u2019s election.<\/p>\n

The EC was initially expected to use about 30,000 polling stations but a statement signed by the Public Affairs Manager of the Commission, Christian Parry, explained that the EC decided to reduce the number \u201cdue to budget constraints.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Commission, at the meeting promised\u00a0to take the best decision on the views collated on proposals for a\u00a0\u00a0the new voters’ register.<\/p>\n

The EC recently held a forum to gather the views of various political parties on proposals for a new register.<\/p>\n

The respective political parties and civil society organisations made their submissions known which have been captured by\u00a0a five member committee chaired by Justice V.C.R.A.C Crabbe.<\/p>\n

The committee is expected to submit its final report on the subject \u00a0to the EC.\u00a0The Electoral Commission says\u00a0it will “study the report and make a decision on the voters’ register as soon as practicable.”<\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

By: Marian Ansah\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana
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