Ghana Elections 2016: The Game Changing Role of Tech and New Media Tools
Ghana passed yet another democratic test when it conducted what is widely described as a very successful elections to choose a new President and 275 members of parliament during its 2016 General Elections. From the tech-based systems deployed by media houses that enabled their collation and projections of results, through the Electoral Commission’s own challenges with same, to how political parties tracked their numbers before the final and official declaration, a major feature of Ghana’s 2016 poll was how technology took center stage of the entire democratic process by almost every key stakeholder, citizens inclusive. This publication, discusses some of the ways technology and New Media tools impacted Ghana's Elections 2016; reveals, also, how the seeming success of the role of technology has not come without its own difficulties. This publication touches on some key highlights of how various stakeholders leveraged technologies to deliver a free and fair Ghana Elections 2016.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND POLITICAL CAMPAIGNING IN GHANA
There is no denying the fact that the advent of social media has resulted in the most substantial and pervasive change to communication in modern times. Social media remains the greatest impetus for information dissemination in the 21st Century with its opportunities, particularly, evidenced in the spontaneity of political events more than ever.
PRELIMINARY STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTE’S INTERNATIONAL OBSERVER MISSION TO GHANA’S DECEMBER 7 PRESIDENTIAL AND LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS
This preliminary statement is offered by the international observer delegation fielded by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) to Ghana’s December 7, 2016, presidential and legislative elections. The 30-person delegation with members from 14 countries was co-led by: Johnnie Carson, senior advisor to the president of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), member of the NDI board of directors, and former U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs; Yvonne Mokgoro, board chair of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund and former justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa; Pat Merloe, senior associate and director of electoral programs at NDI; and Christopher Fomunyoh, senior associate for Africa and regional director at NDI.
3RD GOVERNANCE SOCIAL MEDIA INDEX REPORT
This edition of the Governance Social Media Index (GSMI) provides an assessment of which political parties and leaders have the most presence on social media and the level of their engagement ahead of the elections based on Penplusbytes’ monitoring.
3rd Quarter Social Media Index Report – October 2016
Premised on the same objectives as the 1st and 2nd Quarter reports, Penplusbytes’ 3rd Quarter Social Media Index (SMI) report reviews the outlook and performance of various Newspapers, Radio and TV establishments in Ghana based on their presence, followers and likes on social media; particularly Facebook and Twitter. With data collected remaining valid as at 15th October, 2016, this report measures how media entities utilize their online platforms to reach out and engage their target audience by employing a quantitative research module. The module provides relevant numerical figures which informs the rankings.
Governance Social Media Index Report – September 2016
The second edition of the GSMI, compiled on 30th September, 2016, builds on the first edition with a detailed analysis on the use of social media assets by these actors and what has changed. The second Governance Social Media Index (GSMI) was compiled after the disqualification of 13 presidential candidates from the 2016 General Elections by the Electoral Commission of Ghana. This edition however, includes these candidates because they were part of the first GSMI. The 2nd GSMI reveals that, political actors continue to use the social media to create a sense of connection and engagement with the larger citizenry.