Election Day: How to ensure it is a peaceful
process? |19 October 2020
In every democracy, election is an important part of a political system. It
permits the people to choose freely their political leaders. It also ensures
that there is a clear, smooth and peaceful transition of power.
Nevertheless, during election time there are underlying tensions and
rivalries that may cause strife.
What do we mean when we talk about election violence?
“Electoral conflict and violence can be defined as any random or
organised act or threat to intimidate, physically harm, blackmail or abuse
a political stakeholder in seeking to determine, delay, or to otherwise
influence an electoral process” –Jeff Fisher 2002.
Election violence may not on the surface appear as a gender-based
violence issue however, it is important to recognise that Seychellois
women make up the majority of registered voters, 50.07%, and as
statistics have proven women are more at risk of any form of violence.
Electoral violence has often manifested into physical form, through violent
protests before, during and even after the election. However, with the
increase in access to social media, psychological or emotional violence is
becoming more common.
There are however, practical steps one can take to avoid all forms of
altercations or provocations during these periods. This article will shed
light on three arrangements that voters could adhere to for a peaceful
election process.
1. Early voting
A citizen aged 18 years old or above is eligible to vote given he/she has
met the electoral requirement of registering. Early voting is recommended
to avoid the long queues and crowded polling stations. It is apparent that
early voting ensures that there is no delay in counting of votes and that
brings in the point of transparency and credibility of the elections
procedures. It is good to bear in mind that this election is happening
during a pandemic and the more we can avoid long lines and crowds the
better.
2. Follow electoral guidelines
For a free and fair election to take place, it is important that voters comply
with all laws and regulations governing the electoral process to ensure
peace and orderliness. Hence, it is the responsibility of the electorate to
conduct themselves in an orderly manner before, during and after the
election. Voters are supposed to wait for their turn in the queue, obey the
directives of the electoral officials, and cast their vote peacefully.
Importantly, voters have the right to mark their ballot papers in secret.
After casting their votes, the electorate should leave the polling zone to
avoid unnecessary clustering which may cause disorder. Finally yet
importantly, complaints to be directed to the right personnel, using the
machinery put in place rather than resorting to disputes.
3. Tolerate other people’s opinions
Politics can often be polarised and as households disclose their political
affiliation, it provides an open door for peers and family members to
become very argumentative, critical and intolerant of one another’s
political ideologies. Freedom of speech seems for some as the golden
ticket for shaming and disqualifying others’ beliefs; and often times if not
verbal, but through memos and videos posted on social media platforms.
Respect for others’ political opinions is key to maintaining civility in the
family and community. It may be advisable to refrain from spending so
much time on social media where cyberbullying is quite prominent.
In the end, it all narrows down to respect. Respect other’s opinion, respect
the freedom and ability to make a decision, and respect each other’s
political stance.
Striving for a violence-free election!
ENSURING PEACEFUL ELECTIONS IN GHANA The Role of Civil Society Organisations in the 2020
Elections Felix Danso, Festus Kofi Aubyn and Bettina Boateng Felix Danso is a lecturer at the
University of Environment and Sustainable Development, Ghana Festus Kofi Aubyn is the Head of
Research and Capacity Building at the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) Regional
Office, Accra, Ghana Bettina Boateng is with the Webster University, Ghana Campus
UNDERSTANDING ELECTIONS IN GHANA’S FOURTH REPUBLIC Throughout democratic societies
worldwide, presidential elections are popular, and the risk of violence in presidential elections is
high, especially in a hotly competitive contest. Ghana is unique, as mixed assessments of the overall
climate of its elections, both municipal and presidential, are often described as relatively peaceful
and non-violent. Ghana is among the few African countries that have not ‘experienced any form of
large-scale violence or civil war since its independence in March 1957. Therefore, the country has
often been described at both the local and international levels as an oasis of peace and stability on a
continent besieged by conflicts’ (Issifu 2017, p. 2).
Volume 22 No 2 DOI: 10.20940/JAE/2023/v22i2a8 177 Table 1: History of Ghana’s Elections Election
Year President Political Party 1993-2001 Jerry John Rawlings NDC 2021- 2009 John Agyekum Kufuor
NPP 2009-2012 John Evans Atta Mills NDC 2012-2017 John Dramani Mahama NDC 2017-2020 Nana
Akuffo Addo NPP 2020-Present Nana Akuffo Addo NPP Source: Authors Historically, the political
trends of presidential and parliamentary elections in Ghana since 1992 have yielded eight
consecutive general elections resulting in generally peaceful handovers, as indicated in Table 1. The
2020 Ghanaian presidential elections can also be added to the list of relatively peaceful elections,
although a minimal number of incidents of violence were reported by both CSOs monitoring the
elections and media outlets. According to Asante and Osei-Afful (2021):
Table 1:
History of Ghana’s Elections
Election Year President Political Party
1993-2001 Jerry John Rawlings NDC
2021- 2009 John Agyekum Kufuor NPP
2009-2012 John Evans Atta Mills NDC
2012-2017 John Dramani Mahama NDC
2017-2020 Nana Akuffo Addo NPP
2020-Present Nana Akuffo Addo NPP
2024-2028 -2032 is???? See me in chambers for your sure banker
[Link] the heart is right, the mind and the
body will follow.”
— Coretta Scott King
[Link] doesn’t matter how strong your opinions
are. If you don’t use your power for positive
change, you are, indeed, part of the problem.”
— Coretta Scott King
[Link] greatness of a community is most
accurately measured by the compassionate
actions of its members, a heart of grace, and a
soul generated by love.”
3.“When you are willing to make sacrifices for a
great cause, you will never be alone.”
[Link] greatest violence is seeing a child go to
bed hungry.”
Environmental Justice
“Environmental injustice is a tangible,
intolerable example of an exhibited moral laxity
and minimal concern for healthy standards by
corporations and political structures based on
the race, ethnicity, and class of those being
impacted.”
— Bernice King
“A vibrant, fair, and regenerative future is
possible — not when thousands of people do
climate justice activism perfectly but when
millions of people do the best they can.”
— Xiye Bastida
“We can't save the planet without uplifting the
voices of its people, especially those most often
unheard.”
— Leah Thomas
““Environmental justice, for those of you who
may not be familiar with the term, goes
something like this: no community should be
saddled with more environmental burdens and
less environmental benefits than any other.”
— Majora Carter
NOT VOTING IS NOT A PROTEST
