To enhance transparency and public trust, the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana has invited journalists to observe the ballot printing process at three of the six facilities managing both presidential and parliamentary ballots for the upcoming December 7 elections. The chosen printing houses are Inolink Printing Limited, Buck Press, and Acts Commercial.
Dr. Benjamin Bannor-Bio, EC’s Director of Electoral Services, explained that only parliamentary ballots are currently being printed, as the printing of presidential ballots is temporarily paused for 10 days due to the recent passing of Akua Donkor, the Ghana Freedom Party’s flagbearer.
He stressed the transparency of the process, noting that representatives from political parties are present at every step to verify key details, such as serial numbers and constituency-specific quantities.
“When we say transparency and accountability are in motion, we don’t just say it; we mean it. The Electoral Commission of Ghana is one of the few election management institutions in the sub-region that prints ballots domestically, with Buck Press as a major partner, printing for regions like Ashanti, Oti, Savanna, and Central,” Dr. Bannor-Bio stated.
He reassured the public, “Printing ballots isn’t done in secrecy. We open up the process, ensuring that political party agents observe each stage to verify that all is done correctly. They note the serial numbers, quantities printed per constituency, and all these details are provided to them.”
Dr. Bannor-Bio emphasized that each ballot includes both the EC seal and an additional seal from political parties, underscoring that “there is no secrecy in the ballot printing process; it is entirely transparent.”