The majority of Ghana’s voting stations have officially closed, ending a tense and closely anticipated election day.
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Sorting and counting are now taking centre stage as the nation impatiently awaits the results of the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections, in which voters have already cast their ballots. Even though there were a few logistical problems and occasional disputes at some polling stations, the entire voting process proceeded rather smoothly. The Electoral Commission (EC), which had earlier informed the public that robust measures were in place to ensure a free and fair election, had strategically positioned security soldiers to maintain peace.
As the ballots are sifted and counted, attention is turning to the final count. Preliminary findings are expected to begin to emerge, despite the fact that processing the votes from the 276 constituencies around the country may take many hours.
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Although there are still concerns about potential delays and conflicts, the EC has promised to keep the exercise accurate and transparent. The two main political parties, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), have expressed confidence in their chances. The race for president is expected to be close between Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia of the NPP and former President John Dramani Mahama of the NDC.
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There are those who believe that this election would significantly affect Ghana’s political climate and its standing as one of the most stable democracies in West Africa. Foreign and domestic observers are closely monitoring the counting process. Maximum transparency has been demanded by civil society organizations and political parties.
The election’s integrity has been called into question by a few documented instances of alleged misbehavior, such as vote-buying and violence at select polling places, despite election observers’ reports that the voting process went well overall.
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Although the time required to tally and certify all of the votes is yet unknown, the European Commission has promised to release the preliminary findings as soon as feasible.
Both of the major political parties are preparing to protest any apparent differences in the final count in what is expected to be a hotly fought decision.
