2024 Elections: YAFO Institute calls for independent forensic audit of electoral register

The YAFO Institute has joined growing calls for an independent forensic audit of Ghana’s electoral register and systems, raising concerns over transparency as the country prepares for its December 7, 2024, polls.

According to the Institute, this step is crucial to maintaining the Electoral Commission’s (EC) integrity and ensuring free and fair elections.

In a press release on Monday, September 23, 2024, YAFO emphasised the need for the EC, led by Commissioner Madam Jean Mensa, to address the growing doubts about the electoral process.

“This call is necessary for the Electoral Commission to demonstrate transparency and openness to clear doubts and maintain its integrity as an independent institution conducting the 2024 election freely and fairly,” the statement read.

The Institute further argued that elections are not just a one-day event but a comprehensive process, criticising the EC’s handling of the voters’ register.

The call follows a series of abnormalities discovered by the opposition National Democratic Congress during the recent voter register exhibition held from August 20 to 27, 2024.

Among the key concerns raised by the party and echoed by YAFO in their statement were:

Missing Names: Several qualified voters who registered were unable to find their names in the electoral register.
Misplaced Qualified Voters: Individuals who are eligible to vote were incorrectly placed on the Exception List or Multiple List.
Unremoved Disqualified Voters: Some disqualified individuals due to multiple registrations or challenges remain on the provisional voters’ register.
Unauthorised Transfers: Voters have been transferred without their knowledge, with over 250,000 such cases admitted by the EC.
Polling Station Mismatches: Some voters have been reassigned to different polling stations without being informed.

The YAFO Institute underscored that these issues have significantly eroded public confidence in the EC, pointing to a March 2024 Afrobarometer survey showing that only 33% of Ghanaians trust the Electoral Commission—the lowest level of confidence in more than two decades.

In light of these findings, the Institute reiterated its full backing of calls for a forensic audit of the 2024 electoral register and systems.

“We wish to reiterate categorically that we support the call for an independent forensic audit of the Electoral Register and System to be used for the 2024 Elections,” the statement noted, adding this will restore public trust in the EC and ensure a credible electoral process.

Attached here is the full statement from YAFO Institute