Election 2020: Making December 7 a holiday won’t increase voter turnout – Dr. Abbas

Declaring December 7, 2020, a holiday has been proposed by scores of Ghanaians who argue that the move will make voting easier.

For many, there is a need to make voting more accessible, to make it more of civic duty, to make sure that people don’t have to choose between their job and their ability to cast the ballot on Election Day.

Political Scientist, Dr. Mohammed Abbas, however, believes making December 7 a holiday may not automatically increase voter turnout.

He told UniversNews that increasing turnout is a nuanced problem that can’t be fixed by declaring a holiday.

He believes other factors could possibly be considered if the state seeks to make voting more accessible to the general public.

“The question is, is national holiday going to automatically lead to high voter turnout, the answer is no. Among the factors that lead to high voter turnout, national holiday is not a part of it, this has to do with the individual themselves, so I don’t think national holiday is necessary on Election day,” he said.

He further urged organizations to put measures in place to ensure that their employees are able to cast their ballots while administering their work duties on the day of elections.

“I mean the public and private sectors can also be encouraged [to] strategize ahead of the elections to ensure that their workers can work and at the same time have the flexibility that is required for them to vote,” he suggested.

Source: universnewsroom