A STAR-Ghana project helped increase voter participation, reduce spoilt ballots, cut violence and ensure a credible electoral process during Ghana’s presidential and parliamentary elections.
The Strengthening Community-led initiatives for Peaceful and credible Elections (SCOPE) project was delivered by STAR-Ghana grant partner NORSAAC, an organisation committed to empowering women and young people in Ghana’s northern region.
NORSAAC’s goal was to ensure rejected ballot papers reduced by 10% in Bole, Tolon, Tamale, Central Gonja, West Mamprusi and Bunkurugu Yonyoo communities.
Training sessions
NORSAAC conducted training sessions on voting procedures, and built the capacity of party agents to enhance better understanding of the electoral process. The organisation used its database to identify training participants from an established network of women’s groups, community-based organisations and other groups.
The training helped voters gain confidence on polling day, increasing efficiency of the voting process.
‘Now we know how to identify spoilt ballots from valid ballots.’
A community member who received training.
Another participant added:
‘I used to stamp/thumbprint on the faces of the electoral candidate I didn’t like – through the training, I now know I was destroying my ballot.’
NORSAAC reported higher participation by women in the election, compared to the previous polls, and less animosity and violence in communities when results were declared.
Rejected ballots were down on the 2012 elections, when rejected ballots almost equalled valid votes. Prior to NORSAAC’s partnership with the Electoral Commission, no efforts had ever been made to help reduce rejected ballots in the area.
People with disabilities
Deputy Electoral Commissioner Emmanuel Danso explained how other stakeholders were reached by the project. People with disabilities were educated on tactile ballot papers and the media learned electoral terminology, reducing confusion on the difference between spoilt and rejected ballots.
‘Local and international observer reports reveal that the elections were a huge success.’
Bruce Ayisi, of the Regional Electoral Commission
He added that increased citizen participation contributed to a peaceful election process, despite the region’s challenging terrain.
The sustainability of NORSAAC’s project has been assessed, so progress made during the election is not lost.
Election 2016 grants
STAR-Ghana’s first call for grant proposals supported initiatives promoting peaceful, credible, issues-based and inclusive presidential and parliamentary elections for Ghana in 2016. Out of the 219 organisations that responded to the call, 35 were awarded grants totalling $US2,216,167.
More about the election 2016 grants.
