Long lines formed in many areas and a number of voters said they had waited all night to cast ballots, with President John Dramani Mahama vying for a first elected term against main opposition candidate Nana Akufo-Addo. While many polling stations opened on time, a number started late due to the delayed delivery of materials, causing frustration. Voter biometric fingerprinting was also being used for the first time.
Mahama, after voting in his home district of Bole Bamboi in the country's northern region, addressed the late start in some areas, saying that he had been informed "that the problems have been resolved." "This year's elections will go down in history as the best ever to be held in Ghana," he said. "It's a great day for Ghana and it will go a long way to consolidate Ghana's democratic credentials."
The electoral commission issued a statement in the afternoon reminding voters that anyone in line when polls close at 1700 GMT will still be allowed to cast ballots. In the Jamestown area of the capital Accra, one of the city's oldest neighbourhoods with faded colonial architecture and congested streets, voters grew angry after waiting hours and shouted at authorities.
The polling station opened late, followed by problems with the biometric system. Vida Armah, a 19-year-old student, said she waited more than seven hours to cast her ballot. Asked what would happen if people are not allowed to vote, she said "there will be a war."
Voters in other areas where the process had gone smoothly expressed pride in being able to cast ballots. Comfort Baiden said she had arrived at 1:00 am to wait because she had to make it to work by 8:00 am. The seamstress said she had spent the night on a plastic chair reading a book. "I have to vote because I'm a Ghanaian and the vote is my future," she added.
Ghana has had five elections since military rule ended in 1992, but the stakes are seen as higher than ever this time, as commercial oil production that began in 2010 is set to expand. Mahama, 54, of the National Democratic Congress, only took power in July, when his predecessor John Atta Mills died following an illness.