AEI Backs EC’s Review of CI 127, Urges Technology to Complement Manual Results Collation

The African Electoral Institute (AEI) has welcomed the Electoral Commission of Ghana’s review of Constitutional Instrument 127 (CI 127), particularly its proposal to introduce a dedicated electronic portal for the transmission of scanned election results.

According to the Institute, the proposed reform could significantly improve the speed, transparency, traceability and credibility of Ghana’s electoral results-management process.

In a statement issued on Thursday, August 13, 2026, AEI said technology should, however, complement rather than replace the existing manual collation process.

“Technology must complement, not replace, the established manual collation process,” the Institute stated, stressing that the electronic portal and manual collation should operate as complementary safeguards within the electoral system.

AEI explained that while the proposed portal could provide a secure and timely digital record of results transmitted from polling stations, the original physical result sheets and manual collation process would remain essential for verification, human oversight and institutional accountability.

“This integrated approach will allow electronic results to be cross-checked against the original physical results and provide an additional mechanism for identifying and addressing discrepancies,” it said.

The Institute further called for a clear legal framework to define the relationship between electronic transmission and manual collation, including the legal status of scanned results and original physical result forms.

It also urged the Electoral Commission to subject the proposed electronic portal to independent testing and auditing, with strong safeguards for cybersecurity, data protection, authentication and audit trails.

AEI said political parties, accredited observers, the media and citizens should be given appropriate access to transmitted results to enable independent verification, while necessary safeguards are maintained.

The organisation also stressed the need for comprehensive contingency arrangements to address possible connectivity, power, and equipment and system failures, arguing that technological challenges should not be allowed to disrupt the electoral process.

It encouraged the Electoral Commission to involve political parties, civil society organisations, electoral observers, technology experts and other relevant stakeholders in the design, testing and validation of the system.

AEI further recommended nationwide pilots, simulations and training well ahead of the next elections to ensure that the proposed system is operationally ready and enjoys stakeholder confidence.

The Institute said Ghana should not approach electoral reform as a choice between technology and manual processes, but rather seek to combine the strengths of both systems.

“The electronic portal should provide speed and transparency; the manual process should provide verification and institutional safeguards. Together, they can deliver a stronger and more trusted results-management system,” AEI said.

The organisation noted that Ghana had built a strong reputation for democratic elections and peaceful transitions, stressing that continuous improvement of the electoral system was necessary to protect and strengthen that democratic legacy.

AEI therefore commended the Electoral Commission for initiating the review of CI 127 and encouraged all stakeholders to participate constructively in the process.

“Elections are a process, not an event,” the Institute emphasised.

The African Electoral Institute is a civil society organisation focused on electoral education, research, election monitoring and observation, results collation, election security awareness, and capacity-building for electoral stakeholders across Africa and beyond.