The Electoral Commission (EC) has asked the general public to disregard what it says is misleading information with regards to reports depicting the burning of ballots.

In a statement issued by the Electoral Commission, Accra-based Joy News carried a news item where an agent of the National Democratic Congress accused the EC of burning ballot papers meant for the upcoming elections.

The Electoral Commission in a response to claims explained seven local printing houses were engaged to print the ballots papers of the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

“After such a massive printing exercise, there is always waste or damaged ballots which are shredded by each printing house in the presence of the Political Party agents,” the statement said.

“These shredded ballots are then burnt in incinerators together with the plates that bear the design of each ballot. It is important to emphasize that the burning takes place in incinerators owned and located within some printing houses such as Buckpress and in the public incinerating sites if the printing house does not have such plant,” it added.

The Electoral Commission further clarified Political Party agents located in the printing house are notified about the shredding and burning exercise of waste ballots.

“As part of the process, they are made to sign an undertaking of consent. This is a routine process that has been in place at the Electoral Commission and this is not new,” the Electoral Commission clarified.

Read the full statement below: