Ghana
Electoral Institution
Electoral Commission
Population:
30,096,970
Eligible Voting Population:
Over 15 million
Minimum Voter's Age:
18
Political Regime
Ghana elects on national level a head of state, the president, and a legislature. The president is elected for a four-year term by the people. The Parliament of Ghana has 275 members, elected for a four-year term in single-seat constituencies. The presidential election is won by having more than 50% of valid votes cast, whilst the parliamentary elections is won by simple majority.
Number of Political Parties:
26
Number of Election Held
General elections : 9 (1960, 1979, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016)
Parliamentary elections : 19 (1927, 1931, 1935, 1939, 1944, 1946, 1951, 1954, 1956, 1965, 1969, 1979, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016)
Local elections : 10 (1958, 1978, 1988–89, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2015, 2019) Referendums: 5 (1956*, 1960, 1964, 1978, 1992)
When are the Next Elections?
General elections - December 2020; Parliamentary elections - December 2020
Ghana is the first country in Sub-saharan Africa to gain independence from Britain on 6th March 1957. In 1960 Ghana became a republic, with Nkrumah as President, and in 1964 a one-party state, the CPP being the sole authorised party. However, less than a year later, Nkrumah was removed by military coup, the first of four coups. The army and police set up a National Liberation Council, which dissolved the legislative assembly and suspended the constitution while a new one was drafted. Political activity was permitted again in 1969; a general election followed in August. It returned the Progress Party; its leader Dr Kofi Busia became Prime Minister, with the National Alliance of Liberals as the opposition. Elections have been held every four years since 1992. Presidential and parliamentary elections are held alongside each other, generally on 7 December.