Ghana’s elections cement status as Africa’s democratic leader – YIAGA Africa

YIAGA Africa has released its post-preliminary report on the highlights of Ghana's 2024 general elections.

In its report, the renowned election observer group revealed that the election highlights significant strides in electoral transparency and inclusiveness.

In a joint statement released in Abuja on Tuesday, December 17, at the Transcorp Hilton, YIAGA Africa said, "A total of 18.7 million registered voters were expected to vote across 40,648 polling stations in 276 constituencies spanning the country's 16 regions.

"Fifteen political parties presented candidates for the presidential and parliamentary elections; however, for the presidential election, there were 12 presidential candidates (11 male and 1 female), of which them were independent candidates.

"Meanwhile, 801 parliamentary candidates contested seats in 276 constituencies. Of this figure, 119 female candidates, representing 14.9% of parliamentary candidates, and 682 male candidates, representing 85.1% of parliamentary candidates."

Key Findings Highlight Transparency and Trust-Building

The report underscores practices that restored public confidence, including proactive voter register updates, stakeholder engagement, and transparency in ballot production.

Yiaga Africa commended the affixing of party-labelled seals on ballot boxes, ensuring their security. The inclusion of candidate photos, names, and symbols on ballot papers was praised for reducing invalid votes.

The observer group emphasised the importance of inclusive voter verification processes: "Allowing manual verification for eligible voters without ID cards reduced disenfranchisement and upheld electoral integrity."

Ghana's facilitation of prisoners' and proxy voting further showcased its commitment to inclusivity.

Recommendations for Strengthening Electoral Integrity Across Africa

Yiaga Africa's mission identified 13 good practices and issued 11 actionable recommendations.

Key proposals include adopting real-time electronic result transmission, leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance electoral processes, and expanding inclusivity through legislative reforms for prisoners' voting rights.

The report's findings reinforce Ghana's position as a democratic leader in Africa.

"Ghana's example demonstrates that electoral success is achievable through innovation, transparency, and inclusiveness," YIAGA's report stated.