The District Assembly elections in the Bolgatanga Municipality and the Talensi-Nabdam district, recorded a low turn-out, as voters trickled in to cast their ballot at almost all polling stations.
A visit by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) to the various polling stations, revealed that the low turn was as a result of the postponement of the elections twice.
The postponement lowered the interest of the voting populace in the area, as well as the day being a market day in Bolgatanga.
As at 1500 hours, only 239 voters out of 807 had cast their vote at the Adabasi Junior Secondary School polling station.
At the Zamse Secondary School polling station, 83 out of the 776 registered voters had cast their vote by the same period.
At most of the polling stations visited, the story was not too different, as less than a quarter the voting population had cast their vote.
The Zanlerigu-Daglige Electoral Area in the Talensi-Nabdam district also recorded a very low turnout, just like the Zanlerigu Primary polling station, where only 254 voters, out of 752 had exercised their franchise as of 1400hours.
The same low turnout was recorded at the Barichi, Daglige A and B, Woredaa and Gani-Asonge, all in the Zanlerigu-Daglige electoral area.
The Bolgatanga Township was generally quite, with most people going about their normal business. At most of the polling stations, the candidates or their agents were present to observe the election.
No polling station recorded any electoral malfeasance.
Mr John Yidana, a presiding officer in charge of the Adabasi JSS polling station, complained that, the Electoral Commission officials only gave him 250 ballot papers, and that, even though the patronage was low he anticipates that more voters would come towards the end of the voting period.
Mr Yidana said “They gave me only 250 ballot papers, but now 239 voters have cast their vote. Assuming more voters come, we may have to turn them away because we have no ballot papers,” he added.