The Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (DPAPS) of the African Union Commission (AUC), in collaboration with the Association of African Electoral Authorities (AAEA) with the support of the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), organized the 9th Annual Continental Forum of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) from 12 to 13 March 2025 in Accra, Ghana.

The EMBs Forum convened under the theme: “All Votes Count: Addressing the Problem of Invalid or Rejected Ballots in Africa”. The theme seeks to address the increasing incidence of invalid or rejected ballots in elections on the continent over a period of time, which is notably above the global average.

The Annual Continental Forum of EMBs, the ninth in a row, is one of the flagship policy platforms of the Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS) of the AUC aimed at promoting good governance and participatory democracy through fostering peer-learning and harnessing lesson-learning in election management on the continent of Africa.

Justice Sophia Akuffo, Immediate Past Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana and Member of the Council State, officially opened the forum. At the opening of the forum,  Mrs. Jean Mensa, Chairperson, Electoral Commission of Ghana and President of the Executive Committee of the AAEA, Mr. Fabio Bargiacchi, Founder and Executive Director of European Centre for Electoral Support, Rev. Carlos Matsinhe, President of General Assembly, Chairperson of the Mozambique Electoral Commission; and Ms. Patience Chiradza, Director, Governance and Conflict Prevention, Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security, African Union Commission, on behalf of the Commissioner of Political Affairs, Peace and Security, delivered their opening remarks. The speakers stressed the timeliness of the forum as the scale of the problem is alarming and widespread across the continent, statistics showing: Liberia's 2023 election, invalid votes reached 5.89% (114,597 ballots), far exceeding the global average of 4.3%; Kenya 2022 presidential elections, total invalid/rejected ballot stood at 113,614 representing 0.79 of total valid votes; South Africa’s 2024 elections, invalid votes were 213,437 constituting 1.31% of total votes cast; and in 2024, Ghana recorded 2.08% of rejected ballots from total votes cast.

The participants of the forum are drawn from: the AUC Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security, EMBs of the AU Member States and members of the Association of African Electoral Authorities, Regional Economic Communities networks of EMBs, International Organizations involved in electoral assistance, Civil Society Organizations and academia working in the elections field and other key democratic governance actors.

Discussions mainly focused on: 1) The Concept of Invalid, Rejected, and Spoilt Ballots:  Understanding the Extent of the Problem and its Causes; 2) Electoral System, Ballot Design and Marking: What is the relationship with invalid and spoil ballots? 3) Who should determine whether or not a ballot is invalid or should be rejected? 4)Exploring multi-pronged approaches to reduce invalid votes in elections in Africa: What has been done and what more needs to be done? And 5) A Roadmap for the implementation of the outcome of the 9^th EMB Forum.

Participants made recommendations for EMBs and stakeholders, discussed implementation strategies and timelines; and suggested monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. Some of the key outcomes are: establishment of a committee to examine cross national platforms for good practices and experiences; and EMBs to develop national action plans (country-specific strategies to ensure sustained progress). An outcome document with all the recommendations will be issued soon.

The Forum will be followed by a General Assembly of the AAEA on 14th March 2025. The Pro Electoral Integrity project founded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, through ECES, supported the Forum.

 

For media inquiries information please contact:

Ms Limi Mohammed Shash, Communications focal person, Governance and Conflict Prevention Directorate | Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security | African Union Commission | E-mail: ShashLM@africa-union.org | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Information and Communication Directorate, African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@africa-union.org
Web: www.au.int  | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | Follow Us: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

COMMENTS