The functions of the Electoral Commission

THE FUNCTIONS OF THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION

Definition

An Electoral Commission can be described as a body constituted under the constitution of a country with the aim of, among other things, organizing elections to elect qualified candidates into government.

FUNCTIONS

Creates constituencies

One of the functions of an Electoral Commission is to create electoral constituencies for the purpose of conducting a elections. In Ghana this delimitation is done after each population census has been carried out.

Regulates conduct of elections

Another function of the electoral commission is to ensure that rules, regulations and guidelines are put in place to guarantee the proper conduct of free and fair elections. The issuing of the various guidelines from the Electoral Commission is to make it easy for the commission to easily supervise the election.

Registration of voters

It is the mandate of the Electoral Commission to register all eligible voters. In other words, it registers voters who have attained the age of eighteen and above but who have never been registered. In addition, it must the Commission must ensure that it compiles the names of all the registered voters into one single document called the Voter’s Register.

Procurement of election materials

It is the function of the Electoral Commission to put together all the materials that would be need for the proper conduct of an election. It must ensure that ballot papers are printed, ballot boxes are procured, and vehicles are marshaled to assist in the transport of the election material on time.

Recruitment and training

The Commission is also charged with the duty of recruiting officials and training them to carry out specific duties on Election Day. Some of the officers they recruit include poling agents, returning officers, etc.

Declaration of results

At the end of the polls on an Election Day, and the votes are counted and collated, it is the duty of the Electoral Commission to compile to results in its entirety and declaring winners both at the parliamentary level and at the presidential level.  

SAMPLE QUESTIONS

1. Highlight six functions of the Electoral Commission. [12 marks]

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The problems of the Electoral Commission
The solutions to the problems of the Electoral Commission

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