Election 2024: Expert projects low voter turnout due to economic hardship
By Felicia Asamoah
Research conducted on the December polls, by Data Insight Group of Job Group Limited and Chartered Media Consult has projected that no single major political party will be able to secure a simple Majority in Parliament. This, according to the research, presents an opportunity for more Independent Candidates to join the race and make an impact. It also projects a high voter apathy as a result of the high unemployment rate in the country.
The findings indicate that with about 15 percent of voters being students, the effect on conventional turnout and the consequences of economic hardship among them will impede voting participation.
With barely four months until the December 7 polls, predicting election results has become one hot area for political analysts, social scientists, data scientists, and journalists among others. For most voters eagerly waiting and watching the political scene, the behavior is an excellent way to gauge their level of engagement and also understand the complexity and dynamics of their voting pattern.
The Data Insight Group and Chartered Media Consult’s July poll focused on performance appraisal of the government, voting trends, and most importantly travel costs on election day and how it would impact conventional voter turnout. According to the poll, one other factor that will affect the voter population on December 7 is the cost of transportation. It says it will cost two-point-nine million voters about one billion cedis to travel across the country to cast their ballot. This will compel most of them not to participate in the elections.
The Managing partner of Chartered Media Consult, Osei Boakye suggests voting reforms such as simplifying political processes and making them more inclusive, especially among the vulnerable populations. This will ensure that a number of voters are not disenfranchised, especially the youth who constitute the majority of the unemployed population.
