• African Union
• Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL)
• The Carter Center
• Center for Electoral Promotion and Assistance (CAPEL)
• Commonwealth Secretariat
• Council of Europe European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission)
• Council of Europe – Parliamentary Assembly
• Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA)
• European Commission
• European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations(ENEMO)
• Electoral Reform International Services (ERIS)
• IFES
• International IDEA
• Inter-Parliamentary Union
• International Republican Institute (IRI)
• National Democratic Institute (NDI)
• Organization of American States (OAS)
• Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe,
• Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
• (OSCE/ODIHR)
• Pacific Islands, Australia & New Zealand
• Electoral Administrators’ Association (PIANZEA)
• Pacific Island Forum
• United Nations Secretariat

                   Currently there are over two hundred and thirty (230) constituencies distributed proportionally among the Ten (10) Regions.   Constituencies are for the election of the people’s representatives to Parliament.

About fifteen thousand (15,000) units are in the country. The units are designed to fit into the Electoral areas and are for the election of the peoples representatives to Unit Committees.

Currently there are twenty-one thousand and four (21,004) Polling stations in the country. The polling stations are the places where voters go to vote on election day.  Voters are assigned to these polling stations permanently.  This has resulted from the principle that “where you register is where you vote” Polling stations are designed to fit into the Units.

The process of putting these structures into place is called DEMARCATION.  Demarcation involves delimitation and delineation.  When we describe the determined boundaries on paper, like we have done in our Forms D.1 and D2, we are said to have delimited the boundaries of the area and when we draw the boundaries on a map, that is delineation.

          The process of demarcation is a difficult and complex one.  Most of the activities involved in demarcation are undertaken in the field.  Field work involves

          The preparations of the forms D1 and D2 are finally completed by the IT Department to form the basis of the compilation of voter’s registers.  For the demarcation of the Electoral boundaries to be acceptable to all stakeholders, consultations are held with traditional authorities, opinion leaders, political parties, District Assemblies, members of Parliament, etc, etc.

·  Inappropriate interventions and undue influences, may result in gerrymandering i.e certain electoral boundaries may favour particular party and candidate unduly. 

          Demarcation is not done haphazardly but in accordance with principles which are contained in the 1992 Constitution and other relevant laws.  Demarcation therefore is done according to law.

·             Certain specific factors such as existing traditional boundaries, barriers to transportation and communication, and the distribution of different ethnic or language communities maybe taken into account.

          Within the context of the guiding principles the demarcation of constituencies proceeds along the following interrelated steps.       

v.  Consultations with stakeholders including district assemblies and traditional authorities to resolve issues that issues that might have arisen.

·                    Article 45 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana names the Electoral Commission as the final authority in the demarcation of constituency boundaries. 

·                    Article 47 of the Constitution of the 1992 Constitution provides the factors to be taken into account in the demarcation of constituency boundaries.

·                    Article 48 of the Constitution of the 1992 Constitution provides the procedure for the resolution of grievances, which may arise out of the demarcation of electoral boundaries.

The Electoral Commission, as the authority empowered by the Constitution and the laws of the land to demarcate the boundaries of constituencies and electoral areas has to see to it that:

?   the necessary consultations are made with stakeholders including  the Attorney General’s Department and the Ministry of Local government.

Traditional Authorities, as the custodians of the lands which make up the territory of Ghana, are the sources of information used by the Commission to determine the boundaries of electoral districts.

This is because the electoral boundaries have to take cognizance of traditional boundaries. Traditional boundaries are ignored only to satisfy administrative convenience. Traditional Authorities also help the Commission determine the appropriate names and suitable area centers (headquarters) for the newly demarcated areas.  Traditional authorities have to provide the Electoral Commission with reliable information.

     The Government is responsible for resourcing the Commission in all the exercises it undertakes and must do this promptly as the Commission’s activities are time bound.

·                    We usually say that where you register is where you vote so when we do demarcation, we mark out the boundaries of the constituencies, divide each constituency into a number of electoral areas, create polling divisions within the electoral areas and establish polling centers within the polling divisions.

·                    A polling station is so located within the polling division that a voter does not have to travel more than three (3) miles or five (5) kilometers to go and vote and if there is more than one polling station within a polling division, a voter does not bypass one polling station to another on polling day. 

Demarcation helps to decide who qualifies to vote.  It also determines where one has to vote so that come election day one only has to make ones way to the assigned polling station which should be very close to once place of residence (and no where else) in order to exercise ones franchise.

credit : www.ec.gov.gh
 

• Chief of State: President John Agyekum KUFUOR *
• Head of Government: President John Agyekum KUFUOR
• Assembly: Ghana has a unicameral Parliament with 230 seats.

• The President is elected by absolute majority vote to serve a 4-year term renewable once.
• In the Parliament, 230 members are elected by plurality vote in single-member constituencies to serve 4-year terms.

• Population: 22,409,572 (July 2006 est.)

• Presidential - December 2008
• Legislative - December 2008

The voters' register has hit a record of 12,822,474, an increase of 16.7 per cent over the 2006 electoral list of 10, 987,057, according to a provisional electoral statistics by Electoral Commission.

The electoral list prepared by the Research and Monitoring Department of the Electoral Commission indicates that the limited voter registration last month recorded an increase of 290.4 per cent over the 2006 limited registration.

The EC captured 1,835,417 voters during the recent exercise while the figure for 2006 was 632,087 voters.

The regional statistics indicate that Western recorded 185,400 new voters an increase of 292.0 per cent over the 2006 figure of 63,491. The provisional voters' list for the region stands at 1,256,707, an increase of 17.3 per cent over the 2006 figure of 1,071,307.

Central recorded 141,351 new voters as against 49,713 captured during the 2006 limited voter registration, an increase of 284.3 per cent. The total provisional voters' list for the region is now 1,048,351, an increase of 15.6 per cent over the 2006 figure of 907,000 voters.

Greater Accra captured 340,694 new voters during the limited registration exercise, an increase of 298.4 per cent over the 2006 exercise which recorded 114,171 voters. The provisional list for the region is now 2,553,645, an increase of 15.4 per cent over the 2006 figure of 2,212,951 voters.

Figures for the Volta Region indicate that 151,718 new voters were captured as against 63,066 recorded during the limited registration in 2006 an increase of 240.6 per cent. The region's provisional voters roll now stands at 1,034,250 as against 882,532 recorded in 2006 an increase of 17.2 per cent.

Statistical data for the Eastern Region shows that 186,708 new voters were captured during the recent limited registration exercise as against 61,965 voters captured in the 2006 exercise, an increase of 301.3 per cent. The provisional total list for the region is 1,391,063 as against 1,204,355, an increase of 15.5 per cent.

The Ashanti Regional statistics indicated that 374,451 new voters were captured during the limited registration exercise an increase of 330.7 per cent over the 2006 exercise which recorded 113,236. The provisional voter population for the region is 2,381,214 voters, an increase of 18.7 per cent over the 2006 electoral roll of 2,006,763 voters.

Brong Ahafo Region recorded 186,604 new voters, an increase of 285.1 per cent over the 2006 exercise which recorded 65,456 voters. The provision figure for the region is 1,191,288 voters, an increase of 18.6 per cent over the 2006 list of 1,004,684 voters.

Figures for the Northern Region indicate that 153,793 new voters were captured during the exercise, an increase of 226.3 per cent over the 2006 figures of 67,952.

The provisional figures for the region stands at 1,116,087 voters, an increase of 16.0 per cent over the 2006 voter's list of 962,294 voters.

The statistics for the Upper East Region show that 69,988 new voters were captured during the limited voters' registration exercise, an increase of 396.3 per cent over the 2006 figure of 17,660. The provisional total figure for the region is now 514,404 voters as against the 2006 statistics of 443,416 voters, an increase of 15.8 per cent.

The Upper West Regional figures indicates that 44,710 new voters were captured during the recent exercise as against 15,377 voters captured in 2006 limited registration exercise, an increase of 290.8 per cent. The provisional figure now stands at 336,465 voters, an increase of 15.3 per cent over the 2006 voter list of 291,755 voters.

The Electoral Commission is one of the governance institutions provided for under the 1992 constitution. The Commission was established by the Electoral Commission Act (Act 451) of 1993. It was set up purposely to manage the conduct of all public elections and to handle all matters directly relating to the conduct of elections in the country. 

It is made up of 7 members - a chairman, 2 deputy chairmen and 4 other members. The commission has administrative and regulatory powers. It meets regularly to make policy for implementation on day-to-day basis by the Chairman and his two Deputy Chairmen. A Chief Director and a number of Directors and Departmental/Sectional heads assist the Chairman and the two deputy chairmen in the administration of the commission.

http://www.ec.gov.gh/

1.  Graphic Online         http://www.graphicghana.com/

2. Ghana News Agency        http://www.ghananewsagency.org/

3. Allafrica    http://allafrica.com/ghana/
4.   Ghana News Agency,GNA
       http://www.ghananewsagency.org/
5.   Ghana Review (London)
       http://www.ghanareview.com/
6.    GhanaNewsToday
       http://www.ghananewstoday.com/
7.   Ghanaian Newsrunner(Amsterdam)
       http://www.newsrunner.com/archive/archive.html
8.   Ghanaian Times
     www.newtimesonline.com/
9.   Hi Ghana
       http://www.highana.com/
10.  Joy Online

11.   Mirror
        http://wwww.graphicghana.info/Home.asp?newspaperid=4
12.   Topix - Ghana News
        http://www.topix.net/world/ghana
13.  Vibe Ghana
        http://vibeghana.com/
14.  Television -  Ghana Broadcasting Corporation
        http://www.gbcghana.com/
15.     Metro TV Ghana
        http://www.metroworld.tv
16.  GFM Radio(London)
        http://www.gfmradio.com/
17.   Ghana Today
        http://www.ghanatoday.com/index.php
18.  GhanaWaves
        http://ghanawaves.com/cm/
19.  Kessben FM
        http://www.kessbenfm.com/kfm2/
20.  Peace 88.9 MHz-FM
        http://www.radiopeaceghana.com/
21.  PeaceFMonline
        http://www.peacefmonline.com/
22.   Radio Focus
        http://www.radiofocus.co.uk/
23.  Radio Gold 90.5 Fm
        http://www.myradiogoldlive.com
24.  . SpaceFm
        http://www.myspacefm.com/
25.  SUNNY 88.7 FM
        http://www.sunnyfmonline.com/
26.  Vibe 91.9 FM
        http://www.vibefm.com.gh/
27.   Ghanaian Newsrunner
        http://www.newsrunner.com/
28.  Sundayworldonline.com
        http://www.sundayworldonline.com/
29.   The Spectator Online
        http://spectator.newtimesonline.com/spectator/
30.    What's On Accra
        http://www.whatsonaccra.com/

1. New Patriotic Party (NPP) full text available at

2. Peoples National Convention (PNC) full text available at

3. National Democratic Congress (NDC) full text available at

4. Convention Peoples Party (CPP) full text available at

www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/election2004/cpp_manifesto.pdf -

5. The Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) due to be launched in October 2008

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF GHANA

Right to Vote Every citizen of Ghana of eighteen years of age or above and of sound mind has the right to vote and is entitled to be registered as a voter for the purposes of public elections and referenda. Electoral Commission

(1) There shall be an Electoral Commission which shall consist of –

(2) The members of the Commission shall be appointed by the President under article 70 of this

(1) A person is not qualified to be appointed a member of the Electoral Commission unless he is qualified to be elected as a member of Parliament.

(2) The Chairman of the Electoral Commission shall have the same terms and conditions of service as a Justice of the Court of Appeal.

(3) The two Deputy Chairman of the Commission shall have the same terms and conditions of service as are applicable to a Justice of the High Court.

(4) The Chairman and the two Deputy Chairmen of the commission shall not, while they hold office on the Commission, hold any other public office.

(5) The other four members of the Commission shall be paid such allowances as Parliament may determine.

(6) If a member is absent or dies, the Commission shall continue its work until the President, acting on the advice of the Council of State, appoints a qualified person to fill the vacancy.

The Electoral Commission shall have the following functions –

(a) to compile the register of voters and revise it at such periods as may be determined by law;

(b) to demarcate the electoral boundaries for both national and local government elections;

(c) to conduct and supervise all public elections and referenda; (a) the guarantee of a fair and

realistic remuneration for production and productivity in order to encourage continued production

(d) to educate the people on the electoral process and its purpose;

(e) to undertake programmes for the expansion of the registration of voters; and

(f) to perform such other functions as may be prescribed by law.

Except as provided in this Constitution or in any other law not inconsistent with this Constitution, in the performance of its functions, the Electoral Commission, shall not be subject to the direction or control of any person or authority.

(1) Ghana shall be divided into as many constituencies for the purpose of election of members of parliament as the Electoral Commission may prescribe, and each constituency shall be represented

(2) No constituency shall fall within more than one region.

(3) The boundaries of each constituency shall be such that the number of inhabitants in the

constituency is, as nearly as possible, equal to the population quota.

(4) For the purposes of clause (3) of this article, the number of inhabitants of a constituency may be greater or less than the population quota in order to take account of means of communication, geographical features, density of population and area and boundaries of the regions and other administrative or traditional areas.

(5) The Electoral Commission shall review the division of Ghana into constituencies at intervals of not less than seven years, or within twelve months after the publication of the enumeration figures after the holding of a census of the population of Ghana, whichever is earlier, and may, as a result, alter the constituencies.

(6) Where the boundaries of a constituency established under this article are altered as a result of a review, the alteration shall come into effect upon the next dissolution of Parliament.

(7) For the purposes of this article, "population quota" means the number obtained by dividing the number of inhabitants of Ghana by the number of constituencies into which Ghana is divided under this article.

(1) A person aggrieved by a decision of the Electoral Commission in respect of a demarcation of a boundary, may appeal to a tribunal consisting of three persons appointed by the Chief Justice and the Electoral Commission shall give effect to the decision of the tribunal.

(1) At any public election or referendum, voting shall be by secret ballot.

(2) Immediately after the close of the poll, the presiding officer shall, in the presence of such of the candidates or their representatives and their polling agents as are present, proceed to count, at that polling station, the ballot papers of that station and record the votes cast in favour of each candidate or question.

(3) The presiding officer, the candidates or their representatives and, in the case of a referendum, the parties contesting or their agents and the polling agents if any, shall then sign a declarationstating –

(b) the number of votes cast in favour of each candidate or question: and the presiding officer shall,

there and then, announce the result of the voting at the polling station before communicating them

(4) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, an issue for determination by referendum shall not

be taken to be determined unless at least thirty-five percent of the persons entitled to vote at the

referendum voted and, of the votes cast, at least seventy percent voted in favour of the issue.

(1) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, where at the close of nominations and on the day before a public election –

(a) two or more candidates have been nominated, the election shall be held and the candidate who receives the largest number of votes cast shall be declared elected; or

(b) only one candidate is nominated, there shall be no election and that candidate shall be declared elected.

(2) Where for the purposes of a public election two or more candidates are nominated but at the close of the nominations and on the day before the election, only one candidate stands nominated, a further period of ten days shall be allowed for nomination of other candidates, and it shall not be lawful for any person nominated within that period of ten days to withdraw his nomination.

(3) Where at the close of nominations under clause (2) of this article only one candidate stands nominated, there shall be no election and that candidate shall be declared elected.

(4) Where at the close of nominations, but before the election, one of the candidates dies, a further period of ten days shall be allowed for nominations; and where the death occurs at any time within twenty-five days before the election, the election in that constituency or unit shall be postponed for twenty one days.

The Electoral Commission shall, by constitutional instrument, make regulations for the effective performance of its functions under this Constitution or any other law, and in particular, for the registration of voters, the conduct of public elections and referenda, including provision for voting by proxy.

There shall be in every region and district a representative of the Electoral Commission who shall perform such functions as shall be assigned to him by the Commission.

The appointment of officers and other employees of the Electoral Commission shall be made by the Commission acting in consultation with the Public Services Commission.

The administrative expenses of the Electoral Commission including salaries, allowances and

pensions payable to, or in respect of persons serving with the Commission, shall be charged on the Consolidated Fund.

Political Parties (1) The right to form political parties is hereby guaranteed.

(2) Every citizen of Ghana of voting age has the right to join a political party.

(3) Subject to the provisions of this article, a political party is free to participate in shaping the political will of the people, to disseminate information on political ideas, social and economic programmes of a national character, and sponsor candidates for election to any public office either than to district assemblies or lower local government unit.

(4) Every political party shall have a national character, and membership shall not be based on ethnic, religious, regional or other sectional divisions.

(5) The internal organisation of a political party shall conform to democratic principles and its actions and purposes shall not contravene or be inconsistent with this constitution or any other law.

(6) An organisation shall not operate as a political party unless it is registered as such under the law for the time being in force for the purpose.

(7) For purposes of registration, a prospective political party shall furnish the electoral commission with a copy of its constitution and the names and addresses of its national officers: and shall satisfy the commission that –

(a) there is ordinarily residence, or registered as a voter in each district of Ghana, at least one

(b) the party has branches in all the regions of Ghana and is, in addition, organised in not less than two thirds of the districts of each region; and

(c) the parties name, emblem, colour, motto or any other symbol has no ethnic, regional, religious or other sectional connotations or gives the appearance that it activities are confined only to a partof Ghana.

(8) A political party shall not have as a founding member, a leader or a member of its executives, a person who is not qualified to be elected as a Member of Parliament or to hold any other public office.

(9) The members of the national executive committee of a political party shall not be chosen from all the regions of Ghana.

(10) Subject to the provisions of this constitution, every citizen of voting age has the right to

participate in political activity intended to influence the composition and policies of the

(11) The state shall provide fair opportunity to all political parties to present their programmes tothe public by ensuring equal access to the state-owned media.

(12) All presidential candidates shall be given the same amount of time and space on the stateowned media to present their programmes to the people.

(13) Every candidate for election to Parliament has the right to conduct his campaign freely and in accordance with law.

(a) to declare to the public their revenues and assets and the sources of those revenues and assets; and

(b) to publish to the public annually their audited accounts.

(15) Only a citizen of Ghana may make a contribution or donation to a political party registered in Ghana.

(16) A member of an organisation or interest group shall not be required to join a particular political party by virtue of his membership of the organisation or group.

(17) Subject to the provisions of this Chapter, Parliament shall by law regulate the establishment and functioning of political parties.

Parliament shall have no power to enact a law to establish or authorise the establishment of a body or movement with the right or power to impose on the people of Ghana a common programme or aset of objectives of a religious or political.

See full TABLE OF CONTENTS of the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana below

Chapter 1 - The Constitution

Chapter 2 - Territories of Ghana

Chapter 3 - Citizenship

Chapter 4 - The Laws of Ghana

Chapter 5 - Fundamental Human Right and Freedoms

Chapter 6 - The Directive Principles of State Policy

Chapter 7 - Representation of the People

Chapter 8 - The Executive

Chapter 9 - The Council of State

Chapter 10 - The Legislature

Chapter 11 - The Judiciary

Chapter 12 - Freedom and Independence of the Media

Chapter 13 - Finance

Chapter 14 - The Public Services

Chapter 15 - The Police Service

Chapter 16 - The Prisons Service

Chapter 17 - The Armed Forces of Ghana

Chapter 18 - Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice

Chapter 19 - National Commission for Civic Education

Chapter 20 - Decentralization and Local Government

Chapter 21 - Lands and Natural Resource

Chapter 22 - Chieftaincy

Chapter 23 - Commissions of Inquiry

Chapter 24 - Code of Conduct for Public Officers

Chapter 25 - Amendment of the Constitution

Chapter 26 - Miscellaneous