Jean Mensa, Chairperson of Ghana’s Electoral Commission, urged African electoral bodies to minimize rejected ballots to strengthen democracy. During the 12th General Assembly of the Association of African Election Authorities, concerns were raised regarding the high rate of rejected votes, impacting election credibility. Proposed solutions include e-voting and public education. The assembly also addressed future leadership and strategic initiatives for the Association.
Mrs. Jean Mensa, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, emphasized the need for African electoral management bodies to target zero rejected ballots to enhance democracy. She highlighted that the frequent occurrence of rejected ballots is detrimental to democratic processes, urging that every vote should carry weight. Her statements came during an interview following the 12th General Assembly of the Association of African Election Authorities in Accra.
At the assembly, which concluded the Ninth Annual Continental Forum for Electoral Management Bodies hosted by Ghana in March 2025, the danger posed by high rejected ballot rates to election credibility was acknowledged. Mrs. Mensa advocated for practical solutions such as introducing e-voting, redesigning ballots, and enhancing public voting education to mitigate this issue.
Stress was placed on the importance of educating citizens on voting procedures alongside providing ballots to ensure that every vote is significant. The Association consists of heads of electoral bodies from around 45 African nations who convene to exchange best practices and insights.
The Assembly focused on electing new leadership for the next two years and reviewed a new five-year strategic plan aimed at ensuring sustainability and increasing visibility of the association. A notable achievement discussed was the implementation of solidarity missions in 2023, wherein EMB leaders visited nations conducting elections.
Data from Ghana’s Electoral Commission indicates that from 1992 to 2020, rejected votes ranged from 1 to 3% in national elections, with 2.33% rejected in the 2020 General Election, decreasing to 2.08% in 2024.
In summary, Jean Mensa has called for immediate actions to reduce rejected ballots in Africa, framing it as an essential step towards strengthening democracy. The recent assembly underscored collaborative efforts among electoral management bodies to adopt innovative solutions and foster educational outreach to improve voting processes, ensuring every vote is valued. With ongoing initiatives like the solidarity missions, the Association aims to enhance electoral integrity and credibility in African nations.
Original Source: www.ghanabusinessnews.com
