The Electoral Commission (EC) is promising strict compliance of Covid-19 safety protocols as it announces ‘No Face Mask, No Vote’ directive on Election Day, December 7.
Ashanti Regional Director of the EC, Benjamin Bannor-Bio, said potential voters would be turned away if they fail to wear a face mask.
He said the Commission is committed strictly to implement the Covid-19 protocols to stop the spread of the virus, especially at polling stations.
“No face mask, no voting, no matter who you are, you need to wear a face mask before we attend to you, and that is even going to change the behaviour of the populist for wearing face masks.”
Speaking to Joy News, the Regional Director noted turning away people without face mask will encourage the right attitude and help protect each other.
“During the voters’ registration exercise, people did not care to wear the face mask, but when we made it mandatory, anyone who is coming wears one, at the time if you don’t have, we give you and for 38 days we insisted after which most Ghanaians changed their attitude.”
He wants the general public to note that the EC does not intend to disenfranchise anybody, stressing that it has the responsibility of ensuring the safety of the public, especially amid Covid-19.
“It is not that we don’t want people to vote, come and vote because your details are here, but come protected so you would not come and spread or contact it from somebody.
We are not going to allow anybody to come and infect others.”
He, however, expected the general public to get acquainted with the fact that wearing of a face mask in public is mandatory as it is a law in Ghana “and you know a voting area is also a public place”.
Some persons during the special voting exercise on December 1, 2020, were turned away for not wearing a face mask.