The Coalition of Civil Society Organizations for Transparent Elections (COCTE) has unveiled the POLLWATCH App, a pioneering tool aimed at enhancing transparency, accountability, and active participation in Ghana’s electoral process.

The move is set to empower citizens and civil society groups to contribute to credible elections by facilitating real-time sharing of verified information from over 40,000 polling stations across the country.

At the app's launch in Accra on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, COCTE Convenor Mr. David Kumi Addo described the initiative as a major step forward in combating electoral challenges and fostering trust.

“This is not just an intuitive app, but a movement towards transparency, accountability, and inclusion in our democratic process,” Mr. Addo said. He expressed optimism that the app’s impact would be significant, particularly in eliminating misinformation and reinforcing public confidence during election day.

The POLLWATCH App aims to address critical aspects of electoral transparency. It features a robust operations room where user submissions are verified before being published, ensuring only accurate and reliable content reaches the public. Any information that fails to meet verification standards is excluded, reinforcing a commitment to truthful reporting.

The app’s developers emphasized that this platform would empower ordinary citizens to report election irregularities, such as voter intimidation or ballot tampering, alongside standard polling station results.

The submissions can include photos, videos (up to 30 seconds long), and written accounts, which are all subject to thorough verification.

This launch marks a notable shift in how Ghanaians engage with the democratic process, offering them a tool to play a proactive role in safeguarding the integrity of elections.

“Users can access it through a web browser link, https://app.pollwatchgh.com , and choose to install it as a standalone app,” he added.

The app’s features align with COCTE’s mission to ensure that every vote is counted, every voice is heard, and any form of electoral malpractice is addressed.