HUNDREDS OF the 3,013,856 registered voters in the Ashanti Region began queuing at the various polling stations across the region as early as 7 a. m. yesterday to make an electoral choice between the incumbent President Akufo Addo and former President John Dramani Mahama.
The voters including the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and other high profile personalities such as politicians, clergymen and traditional rulers raced to the polling stations to also elect parliamentarians.
A total of 155 parliamentary candidates in the Ashanti Region reportedly filed to contest for the 47 seats in the elections with 20 of them contesting as independent candidates.
Nineteen out of the 155 candidates were females, representing 12.2 per cent of the total number. Only four out of the 19 females contested on the ticket of the NPP in a region, widely recognised as the stronghold of the ruling NPP.
They were Francisca Oteng Mensah, Kwabre East, Nana Ama Pomaah, Juaben, Mavis Nkansah Boadu, Afigya-Sekyere East, and Adelaide Ntim for Nsuta-Kwamang-Beposo.
Voting was generally peaceful at all the polling stations across the region between 7 a. m and 2 p. m when this report was being filed except pockets of altercations over unstamped ballots at a polling station in the Kwadaso constituency.
A number of the 280 polling stations in the Kwabre East constituency where this reporter specifically scouted in the morning saw dozens of the 135,688 registered voters queue calmly, observing the Covid-19 safety protocols announced by the Electoral Commission (EC) to exercise their franchise.
Security officers were seen at each of the polling stations to promote law and order. Interestingly, nearly all the voters left for their houses or shops after casting their ballots thereby preventing possible occurrences of arguments and violence between political opponents.
Meanwhile, some political observers in the region have attributed the smooth voting process to the EC’s decision to create more polling stations for the election, but they were quick to express pessimism about low voter turnout.
At about 9 am when the scorching sun could not be endured at some of the polling stations which were created at open spaces, arrangements were quickly made to erect tents for the election officials.
FROM James Quansah, Kumasi