Effects of Locality on Voter Turnout and Rejected Ballots in Komenda/Edina/Eguafo/Abrem Municipal, Ghana.

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of locality on voter turnout and rejected ballots in the Komenda/Edina/Eguafo/Abrem (KEEA) Municipality of Ghana, using data from the Electoral Commission of Ghana (2020). The study aims to improve electoral processes and participation. The research adopted a quantitative approach with a descriptive research design to explore the relationship between locality (rural and urban) settings and electoral outcome. However, many polling stations in Ghana do not maintain detailed records of previous elections. The purpose of the study was to ascertain how locality affected voting behavior and ballot rejection rates in Ghana. The study estimated the effects of locality on voter turnout and ballot rejection using the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) Regression technique. The study also utilized the Poisson distribution to analyze the impact of locality on different types of rejections. Out of the 108 polling stations sampled, 61 were located in urban areas, while 47 were located in rural areas. The findings reveal that urban polling stations have a statistically significant 2.86% higher voter turnout compared to rural stations, indicating that urban residents are more likely to participate in elections. Conversely, urban polling stations exhibited slightly fewer rejected ballots than rural ones, though this relationship was statistically insignificant. Additionally, Urban polling stations exhibited 1.5% fewer stained ballots compared to rural ones, reflecting better handling of ballot papers. However, urban areas had slightly higher incidences of multiple-choice errors (2.03% higher) and top-thumb-printed ballots (0.317% higher), though these differences were statistically insignificant. Back-thumb-printed ballots were less frequent in urban areas, with a 1.7% lower incidence than rural areas. These findings underscore the significant role of locality in influencing specific ballot rejection patterns. The study recommends that the Electoral Commission launch a public education campaign to inform voters of the importance of voting and the reasons behind ballot rejections.