You cannot vote in Ghana unless your name is on the voters register, and getting on it means registering with the Electoral Commission. If you have turned 18, or you have moved and need to transfer, or you have never registered, here is how it works and what to bring.
Who can register
To register as a voter you must be a Ghanaian citizen, 18 years or older, and of sound mind. You register once, and your name stays on the register, so most people who are already registered do not need to do anything before an election beyond checking their details are correct.
The people who need to act are those turning 18, those who have never registered, and those who need to move their registration to a new area. If none of that is you, your main job is to verify you are still on the roll at the right polling station.
What you need to register
The Electoral Commission requires proof that you are a Ghanaian and old enough to vote. In recent registration exercises the Ghana Card has been the main document used to establish citizenship, alongside the option of being vouched for under set rules.
Bring the required identification, and go in person, because registration captures your photograph and fingerprints. Someone else cannot register on your behalf.
Where and when to register
The EC runs registration at its district offices and, ahead of major elections, through special registration exercises with temporary centres in each area for a set number of days. Continuous registration at district offices lets people register outside those windows.
If a registration exercise is announced, do not leave it to the last day. The final days of these exercises tend to draw long queues, and a technical fault or a closed centre can cost you the chance if you have no buffer.
Transfers and corrections
If you have moved since you registered, you can transfer your vote to a polling station near your new home so you are not travelling across the country on election day. There is a window for transfers, usually before an election, handled at the EC office.
If your name, date of birth, or other details are wrong on the register, you can apply to correct them at an EC office. Check your details well before an election, not on the day, when nothing can be fixed.
Check that you are on the register
The EC periodically displays the provisional register so people can confirm their names are on it and their details are right, and raise objections. Take that chance when it comes. Find your name, check the spelling and the polling station, and report anything wrong.
On election day
You vote at the polling station where you registered, so know which one that is. Bring your voter identification. Voting is by secret ballot, and you have the right to cast your vote without anyone pressuring or watching you.
Common questions
I registered years ago. Do I need to register again? Generally no. Once you are on the register you stay on it, so just verify your details and polling station. Register again only if the EC compiles a new register and says so.
Can I register without a Ghana Card? That depends on what the EC accepts in the current exercise. In recent years the Ghana Card has been central.
I moved to Accra from another region. Where do I vote? Transfer your registration to a polling station near your new address within the transfer window, otherwise you remain assigned to your old station.
Register once, keep your details correct, check the roll before every election, and know your polling station ahead of the day.
