The Electoral Commission of Ghana has commenced a comprehensive audit of the voter register in the Ashanti Region, targeting the removal of deceased voters, duplicate entries, and other irregularities ahead of the 2028 general elections.
The exercise, which will run for six weeks across all 47 constituencies in the region, involves cross-referencing the voter register with the National Identification Authority database and vital statistics records from the Ghana Statistical Service.
EC Chairperson Jean Mensa said the audit was part of the commission's commitment to maintaining a credible and accurate voter register. "A clean register is the foundation of a credible election. We owe it to Ghanaians to get this right," she said at a press briefing in Kumasi.
Preliminary findings from the first week of the audit have identified approximately 12,000 potentially duplicate entries and 8,500 entries for individuals who may be deceased. These will be subject to further verification before any deletions are made.
Political parties have been invited to observe the audit process. Both the NPP and NDC have deployed regional representatives to monitor proceedings, with both parties expressing cautious support for the exercise while calling for full transparency.
Civil society organisations, including the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers, have welcomed the audit but called for a public reporting mechanism that allows citizens to verify their registration status and challenge any errors.
The EC has set up a dedicated helpline and online portal for voters to check their registration status. The commission expects to complete the audit and publish a revised register by September 2026.
