The Electoral Commission (EC) has tasked its regional and district officers to increase publicity on the ongoing voters' exhibition exercise to enhance patronage. The officers are to visit markets, churches, mosques and other public places to educate people on the significance of the exercise in addition to media engagements. Dr Serebour Quaicoe, Head of Training, EC, told the Ghana News Agency that turnout for the exercise had been low on the first day, especially in urban areas. He said the situation was however different in the rural areas as some polling stations recorded higher turnout. 'It is an eighth day activity, so automatically, as the day goes by, the momentum will increase,' Dr Quaicoe said. 'We are using the various media house for the public education. In addition to that we have tasked our regional and district officers to visit markets, churches, mosques, and the rest in addition to the media engagement,' he added. The Voter Exhibition exercise, which is an important activity ahead of the 2024 General Election, commenced on Tuesday, August 20, and will end on to Tuesday, August 27, 2024. The eight-day exercise will offer voters, particularly those who registered in the just-ended mop-up registration exercise, the opportunity to verify their details and identify their polling stations. The exercise would also ensure the removal of names of deceased persons, foreigners, and minors over the period to help sanitise the provisional register. The Ghana News Agency's news teams reported low turnout in polling stations across the country on the first day of the exercise. In the national capital, EC officials were virtually idling at some centres when the GNA visited on the first day. In the Okaikwei South constituency at the Bubuashie Evangelical Presbyterian (EP) Church Centre 1 and 2, out of the 504 and 425 registered prospective voters, only nine and five came to check their names, respectively. The second day of the exercise also is recording lower turnout as some exhibition centres in A ccra were virtually not engaged by voters on Wednesday morning. It was a free day for EC officers supervising the exercise in some exhibition centres visited by the news team in Awoshie in the Ablekuma North Constituency. For instance, as of 1100 hours, less than 150 out of more than 5,000 registered voters at the McCarthy Hill Basic School and Victory Bible Church exhibition centres, had gone to confirm their details. At all the centres visited, security officers had been stationed to ensure a smooth process, as well as law and order. In random interviews with some voters who were yet to visit their exhibition centres, they cited the 'lack of time' as a major reason for not yet participating in the exercise. 'I leave for work very early in the morning and return home late. I will go and check at the weekend,' Fred Oware, a banker said. Some voters said they preferred to check on their phones but could not figure out the code to dial. The EC announced on Monday that voters who may not be able visit the exhibition centres could dial *711*51#to verify their details on their phones at a fee of 0.50 pesewas. Source: Ghana News Agency