Ghanian started early voting today as members of the Ghanaian security services cast ballots ahead of the nation to elect the next president of the Republic of Ghana. Seven political parties, including one independent candidate, will vie for the topmost job of the republic on Friday 7th December 2012.
Incumbent President, John Dramani Mahama, of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is seeking reelection while the leading opposition candidate, Nana Akufo-Ado of the National Patriotic Party, (NPP) is hoping to take his seat.
Mahama was former Vice President who became President after the demise of President John Evans Atta-Mills who passed away on July 24 2012. Mahama was the former Minister of Communication under former President Jerry Rawlings.
Opposition candidate, Akufor Addo, a diplomat and a pan-Africanist, was a former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ghana. He was the NPP candidate in the year 2008 and lost in a tight race won by Mr. Atta-Mills of NDC.
While the main election is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 7, 2012, members of the security services, comprising the Military, Intelligence and law enforcement agencies, are allowed to cast their ballots ahead of others because most of them will be engaged in providing security and maintaining peace and order during the election proper.
Masquerade234 also gathered that that for the first time, the Ghana Electoral Commission will be deploying a biometric verification system to mitigate electoral malpractices like multiple voting. All eligible voters will go through finger printing authentication before manual thumb printing on ballot papers.
Some analysts say the election is too close to call as both candidates have done enough campaigning to sway votes to either side. However all the early ballots of today will be kept until the elections on friday and it will all be counted together.
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