Browsing by Author "Reynolds, Stephen"

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    Assessment of Voter Turnout in District Level Elections in Ashaiman
    (2012) Reynolds, Stephen
    The turnout at the District Level Elections at Ashiaman has been consistently low for some time now. This study aimed at finding out the factors that has accounted for the low voter turnout, the strategies that have been adopted to increase turnout and finally the trend in the voter turnout in the District Level Elections at Ashaiman. These were arrived at by determining the perception of eligible voters in the district and also by interviewing Electoral Commission Officers. The Cluster Sampling Method was used to select 370 eligible voters from six (6) communities in Ashaiman. Among the major findings of the study are the observation that the major factors contributing to low voter turnout in the District Level Elections (DLE) are disenchantment of voters, voter fatigue fear of intimidation and inadequate voter education. It was also found out that other minor factors like religious factors, complacency, long queues at polling stations and the perception that one’s candidate will not win also account for the low voter turnout in Ashaiman. The study also found that the Electoral Commission Office in Ashaiman has put in place certain strategies to increase voter turnout. These strategies are an intensification of voter education exercises, the strengthening of security at polling stations and the improvement of access to polling stations. The study recommended that voter education be intensified and also security strengthened at various polling stations. It also recommended that the proposed continuous voter registration policy be considered and implemented as early as practicable to reduce the unnecessary anxiety and tension that come with the automatic registration which prevents people from registering and thereby reducing the number of voters.