Ghana’s electoral body the Electoral Commission (EC) will today officially launch the “BVR SMS Checking” to verify voters’ IDs information ahead of national polls slated for later this year.
EC comments it readies to use the SMS-based technology to verify voters’ registration details during the voter exhibition period — in an effort aimed at making “the 2012 general elections credible, transparent and free and fair.”
According to the Commission, it plans to allow registered voters to check their details by use of SMS technology through their cellphones at the lowest network rates, Ghana News Agency (GNA) reported.
All those who had already registered during the recent Biometric Voter Registration Exercise can confirm their information details courtesy of the mobile platform by sending one name, identity card number and polling station to designated database then all the information will receive SMS reflecting on their details, according to reports.
The process is expected to reach more than 13 million Ghanaian voters.
In March this year, the Electoral Commission of Ghana (ECG) started the exercise of compiling a new voter roll for the 2012 presidential and parliamentary elections in Ghana.
Ghana is known for having pioneered the use of biometric voter’s registration technology to curb electoral fraud. Kenya has also begun the piloting process to make sure the project is ready during next year’s elections.
According to Ghana’s electoral commission, it has experienced and will continue getting challenges with the technology in carrying out the exercises although its hopes the biometrics voter register would pave way for accuracy on December 7, 2012, during the presidential and parliamentary elections.
