On Monday, December 2, polls opened at various centres nationwide for a special voting exercise ahead of the general elections scheduled for Saturday, December 7.
This special voting allows individuals, including security personnel, journalists, and electoral commission officials on special duties on election day to cast their vote.
Hours after the polls closed, social media was flooded with posts claiming an early lead for either the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, or the National Democratic Congress, John Mahama.
Some social media users spreading this information can be found here and here.
Collage of some users projecting victory for their candidate in the Special Voting
Have votes from Monday’s special voting exercise been counted yet?
It is important to investigate this claim because of the potential to mislead and give an unfair advantage to any of the candidates.
Verification
After polls closed on Monday, the ballot boxes were sealed and kept safely. They will be opened when the votes cast on December 7 are counted at the Constituency Collation Centres and added to the results from the main election.
Public Elections Regulations 23, C. I 127 details events that occur after the close of special voting polls.
“The returning officer shall, at the end of the special voting:
Ensure that the ballot boxes are kept in safe custody after the polls have closed.
Ensure that the ballot boxes are sealed with the seal of the Commission and any candidate who wishes to add their seal and
Arrange for the ballot boxes to be opened at the time of counting the votes cast on the polling day, and the ballot papers shall be counted in the same manner as those counted in the ballot boxes used on the polling day.
Conclusion
Reports suggesting that a particular candidate has taken an early lead in the general elections based on Monday’s special voting exercise are false.
The votes have yet to be counted. In compliance with the rules governing special voting, they will be counted on December.