EC Expands Media Accreditation to 4,500 for Collation Centres

The Electoral Commission (EC) has announced an increase in media accreditation for covering results collation at constituency and regional centres, raising the total to 4,500.

At a press conference held on Friday, November 29, 2024, EC Chairperson disclosed that the Commission would issue the accreditation cards to the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the Ghana Independent Broadcaster Association (GIBA) by Sunday evening. These organizations will oversee the allocation and distribution of the cards, as the EC will not play a role in the process.

Commitment to Media Collaboration

The EC emphasized its reliance on the media at this critical stage of the electoral process, reaffirming its commitment to work closely with journalists before, during, and after the December General Election. The Commission clarified that its earlier directive to regional directors aimed to ensure minimum media coverage at all collation centres, not to restrict access.

The initial guideline had proposed accrediting three TV stations and five radio stations per constituency collation centre, and five TV stations and seven radio stations per regional collation centre. This was intended to balance media presence with space constraints at many collation centres.

Increased Accreditation Following Consultations

After discussions with the GJA and GIBA, the EC agreed to increase the total number of accreditation cards from the initially proposed 3,308 to 4,500, representing an additional 1,192 accreditations.

The expanded allocation seeks to accommodate more media personnel while addressing logistical challenges posed by space limitations at collation centres.

The Commission reiterated that the accreditation cards would be delivered to the GJA and GIBA by Sunday evening, allowing for smooth distribution ahead of the elections.