EC Chair Calls for E-Voting to Reduce Ballot Rejection in African Elections

Jean Mensa, the Chairperson of Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC), has called on African election bodies to consider integrating electronic voting systems as a solution to the growing issue of rejected ballots in elections across the continent. She made these remarks at the 9th Annual Continental Forum on Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs), hosted by the Association of African Election Authorities (AAEA) in Accra on March 12, 2025.

Addressing a gathering of election management professionals from across Africa, Mensa pointed out the significance of the problem of rejected ballots, describing it as a form of voter disenfranchisement that is often subtle but has significant consequences. She emphasized that finding solutions to reduce invalid and rejected ballots should be a top priority for electoral bodies in Africa.

One of her primary recommendations was the exploration of Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) voting machines, a simplified e-voting system. According to Mensa, such technology could offer an easier and more accurate way for voters to cast their ballots. She proposed that in a simplified e-voting system, voters would be able to select their preferred candidate by clicking on an image or party logo displayed on a screen, ensuring a clearer and more straightforward process for casting votes.

“In today’s fast-evolving technological landscape, it is crucial that we, as a continent, start adopting more efficient and effective ways for voters to express their preferences,” Mensa said. She pointed out that this shift could play a pivotal role in improving voter accuracy, thereby reducing the number of ballots rejected due to voter error or misunderstandings of how to properly mark their vote.

The Continental Forum, held annually and organized by the African Union in partnership with the AAEA, provides a space for election bodies across Africa to discuss challenges and share best practices. This year’s event, focused on the theme “All Votes Count: Addressing the Problem of Invalid or Rejected Ballots in Africa,” aimed to foster collaboration on solutions to improve the electoral process and reduce the number of invalid votes cast during elections.

Mensa noted that there are significant discrepancies in the rate of rejected ballots across the continent, with some countries recording alarmingly high rates. She highlighted data from the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) to illustrate the stark differences in ballot rejection rates among African nations. For instance, The Gambia recorded a remarkably low rejection rate of just 0.02 percent in its most recent elections, while Togo experienced a staggering 27.93 percent of its ballots being rejected.

This disparity, according to Mensa, is a cause for concern, as high rejection rates not only affect the legitimacy of election outcomes but also erode public confidence in the electoral process. She warned that when a large number of votes are invalidated, it undermines trust in the democratic system and could destabilize governance.

Reflecting on Ghana’s experience with rejected ballots, Mensa pointed out that the rejection rate in the country has consistently ranged between 1 and 3 percent of all votes cast since Ghana’s return to democratic elections in 1992. She discussed the Ghanaian Electoral Commission’s efforts to reduce this number, particularly after the 2020 elections. Following that election, the EC conducted a nationwide audit to identify the root causes of ballot rejection. The audit revealed that many ballots were rejected due to factors such as voter illiteracy, deliberate spoilage by disgruntled voters, and inconsistent assessments by electoral officers regarding the validity of ballots.

In response, the EC took steps to address these issues by intensifying the training of election officials to ensure they could accurately assess ballots and minimize unnecessary rejections. Additionally, public education campaigns were launched to inform voters about how to correctly mark their ballots, aiming to reduce confusion and errors during voting. As a result of these interventions, Ghana saw a slight reduction in rejected ballots, from 2.33 percent in the 2020 election to 2.03 percent in 2024.

Mensa concluded her address by urging African electoral bodies to collaborate more closely and adopt innovative solutions like e-voting. She stressed that such solutions could enhance the integrity, efficiency, and overall trust in the electoral process. By modernizing the way votes are cast, Mensa believes that African countries could move toward more transparent, accessible, and accurate elections that would increase voter participation and confidence in democracy.