Dome Kwabenya elections

CARE Ghana, a civil society organization advocating for free and fair elections, has strongly condemned the Electoral Commission’s (EC) decision to reject the election results from the Abokobi Women Development Center 2 polling station.

The organization criticized the EC’s reasoning for rejecting the results—claiming they were recorded on training sheets—as “untenable.” CARE Ghana emphasized that the results were documented by EC officials, not political parties or candidates.

“This raises critical questions about the role of political parties in this error. What role did political parties play in the use of incorrect sheets?” CARE Ghana said in a statement signed by its Executive Director, David Kumi Addo.

The organization stressed that political parties had no involvement in selecting or preparing the materials used at the polling stations and argued that the EC must take full responsibility for the error. It further asserted that, after failing to ensure proper training and oversight of its officers, it is unacceptable for the EC to penalize innocent parties for its own incompetence.

CARE Ghana labeled the decision to invalidate valid election results due to the use of incorrect sheets as “highly flawed” and argued that the EC’s officers, as representatives of the Commission, are solely responsible for ensuring procedural compliance.

“Writing on the wrong sheets should not invalidate the accuracy or credibility of the elections or election results,” the organization added.

CARE Ghana has called on the EC to reconsider its decision and accept the results from the polling station. The organization urged the Commission to address its internal issues without punishing political parties and candidates who were not involved in the mistakes made.

The group concluded by urging the EC to act in the spirit of fairness, transparency, and accountability, ensuring that innocent parties are not unjustly penalized for the Commission’s errors.