Run-off elections: Ghana decides 08

Having just experienced a presidential election in the US, it is great to be in Ghana for the run-off elections to compare.

Ghana's presidential elections occurred on December 7th, but there was a very close count, so neither the current governing party (New Patriotic Party, Nana Akufo Addo) nor the opposition (National Democratic Congress, John Atta-Mills) obtained enough votes to win, so they are holding another election today.
Today, after four hours of church with Victoria, Adwoa, Akosua and Chandra, I went with Akosua to vote.

She was register at her university, so we had to drive almost an hour. We passed a few queues in different areas of Accra, but not as long as the line I stood in to vote on November 4th.

In general you are not allowed to photograph anything having to do with the military, or government, but it seems like as long as you ask the right person, it is OK. Akosua put on her smiley face and asked very politely.

Much of the elections seems similar, in fact the opposing party's had signs that were almost exactly like the blue Change posters for Obama, except in Green.

Differences: the election booths, and in general the whole process was outside. There were two cardboard election booths, and once you are cleared to vote by showing your voter registration card, they give you a ballot. The ballot showed two pictures, their names and a blank spot next to the name. Put your pointer finger in some ink, and vote with your fingerprint.


Additionally so that you cannot commit voter fraud, a designated finger is dipped in a different, more permanent ink. It is usually your pinky finger, and Adwoa's ink still remains on her nail from December 7th! Today, they inked the pointer finger.

Although I've been listening radio, and the TV has been on in every house and place we've visited today, and some have reported police stationed in various areas, I haven't heard or seen any of it.

Bloomberg.com noted:

The December vote, which coincided with parliamentary elections, was lauded by observer groups as free from the widespread unrest seen after elections in Kenya and Zimbabwe. Campaigning for the runoff has been less amicable, with both sides making vitriolic statements, ethnic slurs and threats of violence, Sebastian Spio-Garbrah, Middle East and Africa analyst at the New York-based Eurasia Group, said in a note to clients.

I haven't seen any of that. The most political thing I've seen was at the beach a group of people were chanting the party slogans.

Most of the Ghanaians I asked in the few days leading up to the election made a point of expressing that there wouldn't be anything to worry about, that Ghanaians were not known to cause commotion.

Safety first dad.