Accra, Ghana//-Latest survey released today by Afrobarometer, a pan-African, non-partisan survey research network that provides reliable data on African experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance, and quality of life, revealed that honesty, character, and campaign promises are the top factors that Ghanaians will prioritise when voting for presidential and parliamentary candidates in the country’s upcoming 7th December 2024 general elections.
This survey, which is part of the Afrobarometer Round 10 (R10) surveys, found out that a whopping 90% of Ghanaians say that they will vote for candidates based on their honesty in both the presidential and parliamentary elections.
This is followed closely by the character of the candidates, which 88% of Ghanaians will factor in their selection of candidates in the elections, while 59% of Ghanaians will cast their votes for candidates because of their campaign promises.
Presenting the findings of the ‘Trust in Institutions, Corruption, and Elections: Highlights from Afrobarometer R10 Survey in Ghana’, the Director of Research of Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Dr Edem Selormey, said the findings were not surprising.
She added that most Ghanaians in the survey said they plan to vote for both presidential and parliamentary candidates from the same political party. This means that they won’t vote in skirts and blouses in the upcoming December elections, Dr Selormey explained.
In contrast, only 15% say they will vote for presidential and parliamentary candidates from different political parties, while 6% say they will vote for independent presidential and parliamentary candidates, she revealed while presenting the survey findings to journalists and other key stakeholders in Accra.
Despite concerns about reported political violence, most Ghanaians report having little or no fear of political intimidation or violence during the 2020 campaign period.
Overall, Ghanaians continue to view elections as the best method for selecting their leaders, the survey maintained.
In a panel discussion moderated by Joyce of Youth Bridge Foundation, the three panellists-Dr John Osae-Kwapong, Democracy and Development Fellow of CDD-Ghana; Mrs Mary Addae, Executive Director of Ghana Integration Initiative (GII); and Edem Senanu, Co-Chair, Citizen’s Movement Against Corruption agreed with the survey findings.
Afrobarometer surveys conducted nine survey rounds in up to 42 countries have been completed since 1999. The Round 10 surveys were launched in January 2024. Afrobarometer’s national partners conduct face-to-face interviews in the language of the respondent’s choice.
Its team in Ghana, led by the Ghana Center for Democratic Development, interviewed a nationally representative sample of 2,400 adult Ghanaians in August 2024. A sample of this size yields country-level results with a margin of error of +/-2 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. Previous surveys were conducted in Ghana in 1999, 2002, 2005,2008, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2019, and 2022.
