Samuel Tettey
The Electoral Commission (EC) has issued a firm statement urging the public to discredit a viral video circulating on social media, purportedly showing an individual stuffing a ballot box during the recent by-election in Ejisu.
Samuel Tettey, the Deputy Chairman of Operations at the EC, clarified that the video in question is not connected to the EC’s activities or the electoral processes of the Ejisu by-election.
To dispel any misconceptions regarding the video’s authenticity, the EC provided several key points highlighting discrepancies that invalidate its association with the Commission’s operations.
Notably, the official in the video is seen wearing a green vest, while EC staff utilize blue vests. Additionally, the location depicted in the video shows a polling station in an enclosed space, contrary to the Commission’s norm of conducting polling stations in open areas.
The EC emphasized a series of inconsistencies that cast doubt on the video’s credibility:
1. The Ghana Electoral Commission employs blue vests for its operation staff, whereas the video features a person in a green vest and another in an orange vest.
2. Polling stations for the EC are situated in open spaces, unlike the enclosed setting depicted in the video.
3. Ejisu’s polling stations were supervised by multiple police officers and candidate agents, unlike the video that shows a different scenario.
4. The EC’s ballot boxes are labeled conspicuously with the polling station’s name and code, a detail absent in the video.
5. Each Ejisu polling station had one ballot box, in contrast to the video showing two ballot boxes.
6. The language on the vest worn by the individual in the video differs from the English inscriptions on the EC’s vests.
In an effort to thwart misinformation and uphold transparency, the EC urged the public to disregard the video, assuring that the events depicted did not occur within Ghana or involve the Commission’s operations.
The statement underscored the significance of verifying information before drawing conclusions and reaffirmed the EC’s unwavering commitment to conducting credible, fair, and transparent elections in 2024.
By Vincent Kubi