The Center for Social Justice (CSJ), a civil society organization, has called for a forensic audit of Ghana’s electoral register ahead of the 2024 general elections, citing significant discrepancies that could jeopardize the election’s credibility.

This demand follows a series of issues identified in the voter registration process, including over 240,000 repeated voter transfers, 15,000 cases of unidentified voter transfer paths or "ghost voters," and nearly 4,000 voter details being deleted without explanation.

These findings, which were brought to light during a meeting organized by the National Democratic Congress (NDC), have sparked widespread concern.

Compounding these concerns, the CSJ points to problems with missing or corrupt voter data, including incomplete files with missing names and photos.

The group also highlighted the loss of Biometric Voter Devices (BVDs), which were supposed to be safeguarded by the Electoral Commission (EC).

The CSJ in a statement is urging the EC to immediately commission a forensic audit, overseen by an independent body that includes input from political parties and civil society groups.

They believe such a step is essential to ensuring transparency, accountability, and trust in the upcoming elections.

“The Electoral Commission must demonstrate its commitment to fairness by addressing these discrepancies openly,” said Lawyer Theodore Albright, Governance Fellow at the CSJ.

“A forensic audit conducted by an independent body is crucial for restoring confidence in the electoral process.”

In addition to the audit, the CSJ is calling for the launch of a voter education initiative to inform citizens of their rights and any changes following the audit.

The CSJ warned that failure to address these concerns could be seen as an attempt to suppress the will of the people, threatening the integrity of Ghana’s democracy.