Voting commenced slowly on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in the Ayawaso East Constituency by-election in the Greater Accra Region, with just a trickle of voters recorded in the first few hours at several polling stations.
At the Nima Cluster of Schools, only 162 ballots had been cast by 8:00 a.m., while Nima JHS 1 recorded a mere 15 early voters. Similar patterns were observed at Presby School and Alhaji Iddrisu House Number 2, where polling officers noted that more reporters were present than actual voters in the opening hours.
A branch youth organiser for the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) attributed the slow start to the ongoing Ramadan fast. Many Muslim voters, he said, wake early to break their fasts and return to rest before attending the polls later in the day. Both the NDC and the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) have been mobilising supporters to encourage higher turnout as the day progresses.
Electoral officials reassured the public that all arrangements have been made for a smooth voting process, with security personnel deployed across polling stations to ensure law and order. The Electoral Commission also emphasized its commitment to transparency and fairness throughout the by-election.
The five candidates vying for the vacant parliamentary seat are Baba Jamal (NDC), Baba Ali (NPP), Umar Sander Mohammed (Independent), David Kanor (Independent), and Ibrahim Iddrisu (Liberal Party of Ghana).
Political observers are closely monitoring voter engagement, noting that the by-election outcome could influence the political landscape in the constituency and potentially signal trends ahead of upcoming elections.
As the morning progressed, reports indicated a gradual increase in voter turnout, suggesting that many residents were beginning to arrive at polling stations after morning religious observances. The Electoral Commission encouraged all registered voters to exercise their civic duty and assured that polling would continue throughout the day.
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