If none of the 12 presidential candidates secures the required 50% 1 majority in the December 7, 2024, election, the Electoral Commission (EC) will likely organize a runoff on December 28, 2024.
This contingency aligns with Ghana’s constitutional requirement to ensure that a president is elected by an absolute majority.
A runoff election occurs when no presidential candidate secures the required majority of votes in the initial round.
The potential runoff will be a decisive face-off between the two candidates with the highest number of votes in the first round.
Regulation 44(1) of the Public Elections Regulations, 2020 (C.I. 127) stipulates: “In a presidential election, the candidate who receives more than fifty percent of the total number of valid votes cast shall be declared elected as President.”
Historically, Ghana has experienced runoff elections twice, in 2000 and 2008.
Key Regulations for a Runoff
According to Regulation 44 of C.I. 127:
- If no candidate secures over 50% of the votes, a runoff is held within 21 days: Regulation 44(2) states: “Where in a presidential election there are more than two candidates and none of the candidates obtains the percentage of votes specified in subregulation (1), the Commission shall conduct a second election within twenty-one days after the previous election.”
- The two candidates with the highest votes in the first-round contest the runoff: Regulation 44(3) stipulates: “The candidates for a presidential election held under subregulation (2) shall be the two candidates who obtained the two highest number of votes at the previous election.”
- In the event of a tie in the runoff, another election will be held within 21 days: Regulation 44(6) states: “If after a second presidential election the two candidates obtained an equal number of votes, despite any withdrawal, the Commission shall conduct an election within twenty-one days after the previous election and the two candidates shall be the only candidates and the same process shall, subject to any withdrawal, be continued until a President is elected.”
The post Here is what happens when the 2024 Elections go to a runoff first appeared on 3News.
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