Madam Jean Mensa, the Chairperson of Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC), has suggested moving the Presidential and Parliamentary elections from December 7 to November 7.
This proposal, along with the recommendation to designate election days as national holidays, was presented during the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting on January 22, 2024.
The Electoral Commission (EC) aims to initiate discussions on potential improvements to the electoral process. Emphasizing the benefits of an earlier election month, the Commission highlighted that declaring election days as national holidays could foster increased civic participation and contribute to the development of a more robust democratic culture.
The initial proposal for changing the election date came from the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, which, in a petition to the Electoral Commission (EC) and the Attorney General, expressed concerns about the conflict between the existing Saturday election date and the Sabbath—a sacred day dedicated to their worship of God.
The church is advocating for the adoption of either the first (1st) or second (2nd) Tuesday of November as the new date for Ghana’s general elections.
They argue that this change needs to be codified to ensure Adventists’ freedom to observe their religious practices.
