Chairperson of Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC) and President of the Association of African Election Authorities (AAEA), Jean Mensa, has called for the adoption of electronic voting (e-voting) systems across Africa to address the persistent issue of rejected ballots.
Speaking at the 9th Annual Continental Forum of Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs) in Accra on Wednesday, March 12, Mensa emphasized the need for the continent to embrace technology in its electoral processes.
“In this technological dispensation, we cannot continue relying solely on traditional paper ballots, which are prone to errors and misinterpretations,” she stated.
She highlighted how e-voting could significantly improve the integrity of elections by reducing errors that often lead to the disqualification of valid votes.
“A well-designed e-voting system can significantly reduce rejected ballots and ensure that every vote truly counts.”
According to Mensa, the high rate of rejected ballots in some African elections has become a major threat to democracy, as it distorts the true will of the people and weakens public confidence in electoral outcomes.
“Democracy is at risk when a significant number of votes are rendered invalid. It undermines the will of the people and erodes public trust in electoral systems.”
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