Majority Leader Haruna Iddrisu is unhappy with the absence of Biometric Verification Devices (BVDs) at all centres in ongoing voters exhibition exercise.
The Electoral Commissioner, Jean Mensa has noted that 5,000 biometric verification devices (BVDs) will be piloted in the voters exhibition exercise.
Mr Iddrisu after checking his name at his Tamale South Constituency, the experienced legislator was not happy about the absence of the device at the centre and says this is not the best and the EC should use this period to check the effectiveness of the device ahead of the polls hence it should be taken to all centres.
“Idealy every polling station must have a BVD for the voter to identify himself. This is the equipment that will be used during December 7 so my dissapointment is that the BVDs is absent at this centre, yet we provided adquate budget allocation for the procurement of this device. This exercise should be undertaken alongside the BVDs”.
EC boss Jean Mensa last week at a presser said said the BVDs will verify the fingerprints and facial features of eligible voters who partake in the exhibition exercise and they will be deploying them soon.
She then added that the device will only be at some selected exhibition centres.
“The commission would deploy 5,000 biometric devices to selected exhibition centres across the country. Device would be operated along side the physical copies of the provisional voters register…the deployment of the 5,000 devices would also afford the commission the opportunity to pilot the devices,” she remarked.
The Electoral Commission (EC) begun the voter exhibition exercise on September 18 and will end on September 25, 2020.
The voter register exhibition exercise which will last for 8 days will afford registered voters the opportunity to match their details against what has been captured in the register and to confirm the registrations
The EC has also introduced a mobile service through which registered voters can equally check and confirm their registration.
Voters using this service are to send their voter ID Numbers to the shortcode 1422 for their details, but can only effect corrections where necessary at the EC’s respective district offices.