The Electoral Commission (EC) will be be accepting nominations for President and Members of Parliament (MPs) from September 9 to September 13, this year.
This is in accordance with Regulations 6, 7, and 8 of the Public Elections Regulations 2020 (C.I. 127). The EC has kept the 2020 elections filing costs for presidential candidates at GH¢100,000 and GH¢10,000 for parliamentary candidates.
According to a statement published in Accra yesterday and signed by the EC’s Deputy Chairman in Charge of Operations, Samuel Tettey, interested candidates must obtain nomination forms from the EC’s website at https://ec.gov.gh/forms starting today.
However, it stated that all prospective independent candidates for the 2024 presidential and legislative elections should contact the commission to get a passcode.
“This will enable the aspirants to download the Presidential and Parliamentary Nomination Forms posted on the website of the commission,” the document stated.
Presidential candidates
The announcement emphasized that a candidate for President must be nominated using the commission’s proper nomination forms. The completed presidential nomination papers for each candidate for president “shall be signed by the candidate and at least two registered voters from each district assembly,” it stated.
According to the statement, completed documents should name the individual who will serve as Vice President. It said that the nomination forms must be in quadruplicate and submitted physically by the presidential candidate or any two registered voters who signed the nomination papers for the candidate.
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“In addition to the completed nomination forms, the candidate shall submit four copies of a recent post-card (bust sized) photograph against a red background showing the full face and ears of the candidate to the Returning Officer,” it added.
The Chairperson of the EC is the Returning Officer for the presidential election.
Submission
According to the statement, completed presidential nomination forms must be handed to the EC’s Head Office between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m., as well as 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., every day.
Candidates for president must pay GH¢100,000 upon filing their candidacy forms. Female presidential candidates and people with disabilities were asked to pay GH¢75,000.
It said that payment should be sent via banker’s draft and addressed to the Electoral Commission Chairperson.
Parliamentary
Again, completed parliamentary nomination forms must be presented in quadruplicate to the Returning Officer of the constituency for which the candidate seeks election, either personally or on his/her behalf by the proposer or seconder of the nomination.
Parliamentary
Regarding the parliamentary elections, the statement stated that the completed parliamentary nomination forms “must be witnessed by the signature or mark of two registered voters as proposer and seconder, and supported by 18 other registered voters in the constituency who signed the nomination forms for the candidate.”
It said that the nomination paperwork must be approved by the candidate. In addition to the completed nomination paperwork, the candidate must provide four copies of a current post-card (bust sized) photograph against a red backdrop, displaying his or her full.
Face and ears to the Returning Officer between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m., and 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., every day.
Fees
Candidates for the MP seat must pay GH¢10,000 to the Returning Officer of the constituency while submitting nomination forms.
“Payment shall be by banker’s draft and addressed to the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission. Female candidates and persons with disability are required to pay GH¢7,500,” it added.
The statement advised that any inquiries about the presidential election be sent to the Chairperson of the EC, while those about the parliamentary election be directed to the Returning Officers of the constituencies where the candidates seek election.
