EC Proposes New Election Date

The Chairperson of Ghana’s Electoral Commission, Madam Jean Mensa, has proposed the date for both Presidential and Parliamentary elections, be moved from December 7 to November 7.

The EC also wants election days to be designated as national holidays. The proposals were put forward during the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting held on Monday, January 22, 2024.

The Electoral Commission presented these proposals, aiming to stimulate discussions on potential enhancements to the electoral process.

Advocating for an earlier election month, the Commission underscored that declaring election days as national holidays could promote increased civic engagement and contribute to the cultivation of a more robust democratic culture.

The proposal for the election date change was first made by the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.

In a petition to the Electoral Commission and the Attorney General, the church stated that the date, which falls on a Saturday, conflicts with the Sabbath—a holy day they’ve dedicated to the worship of God.

The church is proposing the adoption of “the first (1st) or second (2nd) Tuesday of November” as the new date for Ghana’s general elections, which it said needs to be codified to guarantee Adventists the freedom to worship.