Ghana’s 2024 elections have been met with a significant decline in voter turnout across the country, with several factors contributing to the low participation.
At the Community Centre A and B in the Wassa East Constituency of the Western Region, presiding officers Emmanuel Cudjoe and Doreen Paddy cited apathy among the electorate as a major reason for the low turnout.
A disturbing trend has also been reported, with voters allegedly demanding financial incentives before casting their ballots.
This lack of enthusiasm was palpable throughout the day, with many polling stations recording low voter turnout despite the critical nature of this year’s election.
At the Gbegbe JHS in Dansoman in the Greater Accra Region, for instance, Polling Station 2A saw only 350 ballots cast out of 581 expected voters by 4:30 p.m.
Similarly, at the Gbegbe JHS in Dansoman, low voter turnout was observed across multiple polling stations. At Polling Station 2A, where 581 voters were expected, only 350 ballots had been cast by 4:30 p.m. At Polling Station 2B, 361 out of the expected 580 voters had participated by the same time. Other stations also reported dismal numbers: Polling Station 5 saw only 148 out of 272 voters cast their ballots, while Polling Station 4 recorded just 90 out of 200. Polling Station 3A had 302 ballots cast from 524 expected voters, and 3B recorded 284 ballots from the same number of anticipated voters.
This trend is not unique to Ghana, as voter turnout has been declining globally over the past few decades.
However, Ghana’s low voter turnout is particularly concerning given the critical nature of this year’s election.
As polling stations across the country prepare to close, officials are allowing the last queues of voters to cast their ballots before the official closure of the electoral process.
