Elections 2004 (Results) - Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Ghana Office

The 2004 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections
REGISTRATION OF VOTERS
At the time the preparations towards the holding of the 2004 elections commenced, the existing voters register had
been in existence since 1995, when it was first compiled. Even though efforts had been made to review the register
annually since then, it was believed that it had nonetheless accumulated such expired data as to render it undependable.
In fact, the results of the 2000 population census, which put Ghana’s total population at a little over eighteen
million (18,000,000), suggested that the registered voter population of over ten million persons at that time was statistically
untenable. Alterations to the boundaries of the constituencies and the districts, subsequent to the review of
districts and constituencies carried out earlier, also entailed considerable dislocation of the existing electoral codes.
For these reasons, the political parties agreed with the Commission that the voters register must be replaced. The
Commission took advantage of the new registration to enhance the reliability and dependability of the voters register.
Two pictures of the voter were taken: one was placed on the voter’s ID card, and the other was placed against
his/her name in the register as a means of checking impersonation. Additionally, the stored copies of the photographs
in the database provide a more secure and cost effective means of replacing lost ID cards without having to
retake pictures.
As is the practice in connection with all major activities, an elaborate and intensive programme of public education
preceded the voter registration exercise. Apart from the Commission’s own efforts, the programme received active
collaboration from the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), the media, religious groups, and several
public interest organisations. In order to reach the remotest parts of the country, the Commission developed a voter
awareness program which involved the use of itinerant voter educators who moved from village to village within well
defined zones to sensitize the people about the upcoming exercise.
The voter registration exercise lasted a period of two weeks, that is from 16 th to 29 th March 2004. As it is the practice,
the 2004 voters registration exercise also experienced the active collaboration and participation of the political
parties. Party agents monitored the entire registration exercise. To make them knowledgeable and effective, the
party agents were given the same training in the registration processes and procedures as the Commission’s own
20