C/R: First day of voter registration exercise for Senior High Schools successful.

First day of the voter registration exercise for Senior High School students in Cape Coast has been successful according to the EC.

On Friday 10th July 2020, about 169 students and staff had been registered under the electoral commission’s new voter registration exercise during ATLFMNEWS visit to the Saint Augustine’s College.

The exercise which begun on Friday 10th July and ends on 11th July 2020, is currently being undertaken in all senior high schools across the country without polling stations or registration centres within the schools.

The exercise is to target senior high school students 18 years and above who have the Ghana card or a Ghanaian Passport. However students without any of these documents but are eligible applicants can use two guarantors already registered as voters to guarantee for them.

According to the registration officer at the St Augustine’s College, Mr. Daniel Birikorang, majority of the students did not have the Ghana Card and as such “staff of the school including Teaching and non-teaching staff yet to register for the new voter’s card were made to register so they could guarantee for the students.”

He however noted that the officials were “overwhelmed with the large number of students that had come in to register on the first day of the exercise.”

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Mr. Daniel Birikorang added that the registered participants of the school who are qualified voters of 2020 elections will be affiliated to the nearest polling station which is the Bakatsir Methodist Basic School around the area.

He therefore noted that, “students who wish to vote at their place of residence must partake in the Electoral Commission’s transfer of vote exercise of which the EC is yet to announce a scheduled date.
The exercise begun at 7:55am at the college and was a smooth process.

Covid 19 Protocols

Students adhered to 1.5metre social distancing rule and were made to wash their hands at the entrance of the School’s Assembly Hall where veronica buckets have been placed.

Students were in nose masks and a thermometer gun was used by an EC official to test temperature of all who entered the centre. Some staff of the school and EC officials also monitored the student’s adherence to the protocols during the exercise.

ATLFMEWS also gathered that the MCE for Cape Coast, Mr. Ernest Arthur who visited the college on the first day of the exercise donated Nose Masks and hand sanitizers to the students, Staff as well as the EC officials.

Attendance

There were 10 EC staff, political party agents and a presence of security personnel to monitor the exercise.

Mfantsipim

Meanwhile the exercise is not currently ongoing at the Mfantsipim School as the school is already a polling centre. However, ATLFMNEWS gathers that registration SHS students of the school will commence on the 19th of July, 2020.

University Practice Senior High School

At the University Practice Senior High School, UCC, Residents living around the school and teachers were also allowed to register.

All registered persons according to the EC official on duty, will automatically be part of the Sasakawa polling station at the University of Cape Coast.

The EC says it has made provision for transfer for students who will not be available during the election.

All Covid19 protocols were observed with the help of teachers and the Security.

Source: Aba Aikins Appah & Pouliwe Nyodi/ATLFMNEWS