This is a specially designed ballot paper divisible into two sections to cater for long list of candidates in all types of elections. It is designed to meet the needs of stakeholders in the electoral system; candidates, voters, political parties, Election Management Bodies, academia, local and international observer groups. Once the number of candidates exceeds the ballot paper design threshold like twenty (20) to thirty (30) candidates or beyond, the need to apply the two or three fold ballot papers design becomes necessary and beneficial.
It enforces the constitutional requirement of secret voting in public elections and integrity of the voting process and ballot box (Article 49 (1) of the 1992 constitution of Ghana: At any public election or referendum, voting shall be by secret ballot.
Note that the topical study is at the developing stage and would be updated with additional information.
There are fourteen (14) celebrated public holidays and one (1) commemorative in Ghana in the year 2025 to equal a total of fifteen (15).Public holidays have three distinctive features.
1. National – Celebration recognizes important events in the country’s history, culture and sociopolitical landscape.
2. Regional or Continental – Recognizes the principles of Pan Africanism and achievements over colonialism and fight against the threat of neocolonialism to establish the identity of a people and nation. Example is the rich history, culture and solidarity of black Africa and continent.
3. International – Celebration recognizes important universal religious events of her people. Christians and Muslims holidays have same days celebrations worldwide in the spirit of unity of faith and social cohesion.
It is important to note that all local public holidays and non – commemorative holidays are shaped and celebrated in the spirit and letter of international accepted democratic principles, norms, and human rights and liberties.
Ghana’s Public Holidays and Commemorative Act, (Amendment), 2025 (Act 1142) has the following features.
1. Section 3 of the Public Holidays and Commemorative Act 201 amended to Section 3(2) of the Public Holidays and Commemorative (Amendment) Act, 2025 to have Substituted Holidays. Where a Public Holiday falls on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, the President may by Executive Instrument declare Friday or Monday as a Public Holiday.
2. Additionally, where a Public Holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the President, may by Executive Instrument declare Monday as the Public Holiday.
3. Note that Substituted Holidays do not apply to religious Public Holidays such as Eid-ul-Fitr, Shaqq Day, Eid-ul-Adha, Christmas Day and Boxing Day and Easter holidays.
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS (AMENDMENT) ACT, 2019 ACT 986
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
Section
Short Title of Act 601 amended
Section 1 of Act 601 amended
Section 4A inserted
Section 7 of Act 601 amended
Schedule to Act 601 amended
REPUBLIC OF GHANA
THE NINE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-SIXTH ACT
OF THE PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF GHANA
ENTITLED
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS (AMENDMENT) ACT, 2019
AN ACT to amend the Public Holidays Act, 2001 (Act 601) to provide for the T” day of January, the 4th day of August and the 21st day of September as statutory public holidays and for related matters.
DATE OF ASSENT:11th April, 2019.
PASSED by Parliament and assented to by the President:
Short Title to Act 601 amended
The Pubic Holidays Act, 2001 (Act 601) referred to in this Act as the “principal enactment” is amended by the substitution for the Short Title, of “Public Holidays and Commemorative Days Act, 2001 (Act 601)”.
Section 1 of Act 601 amended
The principal enactment is amended in section 1 by the insertion before the word “Schedule”, of “First”.
Section 4A inserted
The principal enactment is amended by the insertion after section 4, of
“Commemorative days
4A. A day specified in the Second Schedule shall be celebrated as a commemorative day.”
Section 7 of Act 601 amended
The principal enactment is amended by the substitution for section of
Interpretation
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, “commemorative day” means a day other than a
. statutory public holiday which is set aside in remembrance of an important person or an important event in the past; and
“shop” includes a store or any premises for the sale of goods.” .
Schedule to Act 601 amended
The principal enactment is amended by the substitution for the Schedule of,
Public holidays (amendment) act, 2019 act 986 – GHANA LAW
Culled from the E – Library of the Judicial Service of Ghana
LABOUR ACT, 2003 (ACT 651) – SECTIONS 20 – 31
PART IV—GENERAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT Sub-Part I—Annual Leave with Pay
Section 20—Leave Entitlement.
(1) In any undertaking every worker is entitled to not less than fifteen working days leave with full pay in any calendar year of continuous service.
(2) The expression “full pay” means the worker’s normal remuneration, without overtime payment, including the cash equivalent of any remuneration in kind.
Section 21—Continuous Service.
(1) Continuity of service shall not be regarded as interrupted by mere change of ownership or management of the undertaking.
(2) Where the work is not regularly maintained throughout the year, the requirement of continuous service shall be deemed to have been met if the worker has worked for not less than two hundred days in the particular year.
Section 22—Interruption of Work by Public Holidays, Sickness of Worker.
Public holidays and absence from duty due to sickness certified by a medical practitioner, and pregnancy and confinement, shall not affect the annual leave entitlement of a worker.
Section 23—Interruption of Work by Voluntary Communal Work, Civic Duties and Special Leave.
A period during which a worker is absent from his or her normal duties with the permission of the employer on account of the worker’s participation in voluntary communal work, the discharge of civic duties or the granting of special leave with or without pay, shall not be counted as part of the worker’s annual leave.
Section 24—Sick Leave not Part of Annual Leave.
A period of absence from work allowed owing to sickness, which is certified by a medical practitioner, and which occurs after the commencement of and during annual leave shall not be computed as part of the leave.
Section 25—Leave to be Uninterrupted.
(1) Every worker is entitled to enjoy an unbroken period of leave but an employer, in cases of urgent necessity, may in accordance with this section, require a worker to interrupt his or her leave and return to work.
(2) Where a worker is required by the employer to interrupt his or her leave in the circumstances specified in subsection (1) the worker shall not forfeit the right to the remainder of the leave but shall take the leave anytime thereafter.
(3) Where a worker takes his or her annual leave at the end of a calendar year, the leave may continue except as provided in sub-section (1) without interruption, into the following year.
Section 26—Employer to bear Cost of Leave Interruption.
Any employer who requires a worker to interrupt his or her annual leave in the circumstances stated in section 25, shall make up to the worker any reasonable expense incurred on account of the interruption, and also resumption of the leave by the worker.
Section 27—Record of Employment, Leave.
(1) A worker shall, as much as may be possible, be given notice of the date of commencement of his or her annual leave, at least, thirty days before the worker takes the leave.
(2) Every employer is required to keep a record showing the following particulars,
(a) the date of employment of each worker employed by the employer and the duration of the annual leave to which the worker is entitled;
(b) the dates on which the annual leave is taken by each worker; and
(c) the remuneration received by each worker in respect of the annual leave.
Section 28—Worker May Take Leave in Two Equal Parts.
Without prejudice to the provisions of this Sub-Part, a worker may be permitted to take his or her annual leave in two approximate equal parts.
Section 29—Leave Entitlement to be Restored to Where a worker, suspended from the service of his or her employer prior to disciplinary or criminal proceedings being taken against him or her is reinstated, the worker shall be entitled to take the leave he or she would have had if he or she had not been suspended.
Section 30—Termination of Employment not to Affect Leave Entitlement Earned.
(1) Where the employment of a worker is terminated, the worker is entitled to annual leave in proportion to the period of service in the calendar year.
(2) The worker shall not be deprived of any other grants or awards to which the worker is entitled including payment in lieu of notice of termination.
(3) Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply to cases where the employer has the right to dismiss a worker without notice.
Section 31—Agreement to Forgo Leave to be Void.
Any agreement to relinquish the entitlement to annual leave or to forgo such leave is void.
Currently, there are fourteen (14) celebrated public holidays and one (1) commemorative in Ghana in the year 2025 to equal a total of fifteen (15). The usual practice is that public holidays that fall on either Saturday or Sunday are celebrated in the first working day of the week. This year, the President by Executive Instrument extended the celebration of Eid – ul – Fitr to two (2) public holidays on 31st May and 1st April, 2025. Besides, amendments by the President reintroduced the celebration of Republic Day, 1st July 2024 as a public holiday.
Further amendments now direct that public holidays that fall on Mondays would be celebrated and observed nationwide but those that fall on Tuesday to Thursday as, midweek public holidays, will be shifted to Friday as public holidays to boost and create balance in productivity. This explains why Tuesday, 1st July, 2025 is being celebrated and observed as a public holiday on Friday, 4th July, 2025. A new public holiday called the Shaqq Day is introduced and celebrated a day after Eid ul – Fitr – Public Holidays and Commemorative (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
Note that months with thirty (30) and thirty one (31) days remain the same every year except the month of February which changes as leap year or not. To determine a leap year, divide the year by 4 if the result is a whole number like 2024. But if the result is not a whole number like 2025, it is not a leap year. Therefore, a leap year occurs every four (4) years to compensate for loss of days in the calendar month of February. Leap years have 366 days instead of the usual 365 days.
Leap days keep our calendar in alignment with the earth’s revolutions around the Sun. It takes Earth approximately 365.242189 days or 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 45 seconds to circle once around the sun. This is called a tropical year and starts on the March equinox; the three days on 19th, 20thand 21st in which the sun crosses the equator from the south to North. In Accra, Ghana the local time for the March equinox is 20th March, 2025, 9:01am GMT, and September equinox on 22nd September, 2025, 6:19pm GMT.
The Equinoxes and the seasons: The March and September equinoxes mark the beginning of the spring and autumn seasons on earth according to one definition. The equinox in March is the start of the spring season in Northern hemisphere and the beginning of the fall south of the equator. The March and September equinoxes almost have equal number of day and night hours in the northern and southern hemispheres and varies as the months of the equinoxes expire and other months take their positions in the calendar years. This is accompanied with unbalanced length of days and nights; shorter days and longer nights in one hemisphere and longer days and shorter nights in another hemisphere. This is why certain countries record more hours of sunlight to make sunset after 6pm with its corresponding early sunset and more night hours in place of day hours. This explains why the times and seasons vary and differ at countries in Northern and southern hemispheres.
EQUINOXES TABLE: 2019 – 2029
UT date and time of equinoxes and solstices on Earth
Event
Equinox
Solstice
Equinox
Solstice
Month
March
June
September
December
Year
Day
Time
Day
Time
Day
Time
Day
Time
2019
20
21:58
21
15:54
23
07:50
22
04:19
2020
20
03:50
20
21:43
22
13:31
21
10:03
2021
20
09:37
21
03:32
22
19:21
21
15:59
2022
20
15:33
21
09:14
23
01:04
21
21:48
2023
20
21:25
21
14:58
23
06:50
22
03:28
2024
20
03:07
20
20:51
22
12:44
21
09:20
2025
20
09:02
21
02:42
22
18:20
21
15:03
2026
20
14:46
21
08:25
23
00:06
21
20:50
2027
20
20:25
21
14:11
23
06:02
22
02:43
2028
20
02:17
20
20:02
22
11:45
21
08:20
2029
20
08:01
21
01:48
22
17:37
21
14:14
Equinox
A solar equinox is a moment in time when the Sun crosses the Earth’s equator, which is to say, appears directly above the equator, rather than north or south of the equator. On the day of the equinox, the Sun appears to rise “due east” and set “due west”. This occurs twice each year, around 20th March and 23rd September.
More precisely, an equinox is traditionally defined as the time when the plane of Earth’s equator passes through the geometric center of the Sun’s disk. Equivalently, this is the moment when Earth’s rotation axis is directly perpendicular to the Sun-Earth line, tilting neither toward nor away from the Sun. In modern times, since the Moon (and to a lesser extent the planets) causes Earth’s orbit to vary slightly from a perfect ellipse, the equinox is officially defined by the Sun’s more regular ecliptic longitude rather than by its declination. The instants of the equinoxes are currently defined to be when the apparent geocentric longitude of the Sun is 0° and 180°.
The word is derived from the Latin aequinoctium, from aequus (equal) and nox (night). On the day of an equinox, daytime and nighttime are of approximately equal duration all over the planet. Contrary to popular belief, they are not exactly equal because of the angular size of the Sun, atmospheric refraction, and the rapidly changing duration of the length of day that occurs at most latitudes around the equinoxes. Long before conceiving this equality, equatorial cultures noted the day when the Sun rises due east and sets due west, and indeed this happens on the day closest to the astronomically defined event. As a consequence, according to a properly constructed and aligned sundial, the daytime duration is 12 hours.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the March equinox is called the vernal or spring equinox while the September equinox is called the autumnal or fall equinox. In the Southern Hemisphere, the reverse is true. During the year, equinoxes alternate with solstices. Leap years and other factors cause the dates of both events to vary slightly.
Hemisphere-neutral names are northward equinox for the March equinox, indicating that at that moment the solar declination is crossing the celestial equator in a northward direction, and southward equinox for the September equinox, indicating that at that moment the solar declination is crossing the celestial equator in a southward direction.
Daytime is increasing at the fastest at the vernal equinox and decreasing at the fastest at the autumnal equinox.
With the 2020 presidential elections over shadowing the parliamentary elections, the role of Independent candidates and Independent votes with high influential effects on marginal votes of the leading political parties at the parliamentary level seem to be marginalized and relegated to the background. This research work and study are meant to look at the implications and effects of Independent votes on party votes of the NPP and NDC parliamentary candidates and its future election benefits or election deficits for safe seats or unsafe seats.
This is premised on the Independent votes and the two parties’ marginal votes’ theory specifically designed to ensure transparent, verifiable, justifiable and accurate data analysis and results alongside other nomination and election results theories. Introspection and implications of data variables are analyzed to get accurate results in a typical pre – elections, elections and post elections scenario.
DEMOCRACY QUOTES
Abraham Lincoln: Stand with anybody that stands right, stand with him while he is right and part with him when he goes wrong.
Abraham Lincoln: Democracy is government of the people, by the people, and for the people.
Winston Churchill: Democracy is the worst form of government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time. This statement is said to be justified after the British people voted him out from his position as Prime Minister within months of winning the Second World War.
Ghana practices a two round balloting system that leads to show ballot positions of Presidential Candidates and Parliamentary Candidates. In the electoral system before the election year 2000, ballot positions were determined primarily on first come first serve basis at the Office of the Electoral Commission (Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, 2010:38). That is day and time of presentation and acceptance of nomination forms played the major role in apportioning ballot positions, and this reflected in the 1992 and 1996 General Elections.
However, the Electoral Commission introduced the balloting system of picking ballot positions for the 2000 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections. This one way practice was also used for determining ballot positions for Presidential and Parliamentary Candidates in the 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 General Elections.
To improve the balloting system in Presidential and Parliamentary Elections, the Electoral Commission adopted the two round balloting system in 2020. This was purposed driven to instill confidence in the election process and political parties, and independent candidates.
The ministry of Titus was a blessing to Apostle Paul among the Corinthians. The good report about the Corinthians was a great joy to Titus with a multiplier effect on Apostle Paul. It revealed the confidence of Apostle Paul in Titus and now in the Corinthians because of obedience to the complete teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is more to read and know the truth buddy.
These Apostolic messages would change and improve your life, Christian faith, ministry and performances of righteous works by the Holy Spirit. Do you have the heart, mind, confidence, boldness to declare your Christian faith in the midst of persecutions and sufferings? Do you bear the fruit of longsuffering as a Christian with a mission and purpose for God in Christ?
Apostle Paul’s concern of the Corinthians faithfulness continued with his defense of his lineage as a true Hebrew and Israelite, and Apostolic ministry as the will of God in Christ especially to the Gentiles. His sufferings were borne out his missionary journeys and encounters of wicked unbelievers, Jews and Gentiles alike.
The messages define his extreme sufferings that portray his confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ and boldness to declare the gospel to people even at the peril of life and comfort. He suffered emotionally and went through psychological trauma for the sake of the elect so that they would come to repentance and salvation.
His sincere heart and motive in this letter to the Corinthians revealed his daily concern for the state of all the Churches like a bishop (2 Corinthians 11:28). As true father of the Churches, he did his best to maintain and preserve believing Christians as the Church of God and showed a holy anger whenever the devil and his demons, and human agents caused backsliding among the family; the Church (2 Corinthians 11:29).
Therefore, his boats were in his infirmities symbolic of his weaknesses and sufferings for the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ; mission and vision (Matthew 28:18 – 20). He delivered a hearty and truthful message with God as his witness whose eternal plan and salvation yielded great and everlasting results in Christ and the Holy Spirit. He experienced great sufferings but also great protection, salvation, deliverances and consolation from the Lord Jesus Christ who called and anointed him as His Apostle (2 Corinthians 11:31 & 32).
Reluctant boasting reveals going beyond the ordinary and norms of human society and the church to make your boasts in the lord for edification and blessing. Apostle Paul discerned the need to communicate about his boasts of accomplishments to the Corinthians as a reminder and awakening them to spirituality and avert carnality. Its purpose was for edification and sustainability of the Christian faith. He tasked the Corinthians Christians to bear with their boasts of accomplishments in ministry even if it looked childish, repetitive and awkward to them.
A little deviation from the norm but fulfilled Christ’s righteousness among the Corinthians. He revealed that his boasts were spiritual and therefore superior to people who boasted in the flesh for self – glory. It was a righteous stance against enemies of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
He cautioned the Corinthians in their gullibility because of association with fools with no purpose and sense of direction. That was their weakness and it resulted in easy manipulation by the devil against his ministry and righteous works among them.
At a point in time, he accepted blame for the negative practices of the Corinthians but decided to put an end to these nonsense in the church; hence his boasts to be bolder and louder than his enemies. Yeah you have to read the details buddy for better understanding and revelation.
2 Corinthians 11:5 – 15 shows the struggles of Apostle Paul in his ministry to the Corinthians because of the works of false Apostles and workers. He used the Corinthians situation and scenario to expose the activities and works of false Apostles and workers in the Church.
It revealed that information about their infiltration in the Church was known in his missionary journeys in the book of Acts of the Apostles and first and second letters to the Corinthians. Know the difference between the Holy Spirit and the spirit of the devil; workers of righteousness and workers of evil.
His mission strategy was not just to pray against the works of these false Apostles and workers but also to live, promote and enforce the teachings of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. He challenged the Corinthians to weigh his Apostolic ministry and his co – workers with that of false Apostles and know that all his thoughts, words, decisions and works were borne of love and the Holy Spirit.
It revealed a battle situation as the Commander – in – Chief of the Lord’s army. His emphasis was on the victory of the Lord Jesus Christ over the devil and his demons and enemies of righteousness. He dealt also with the disbelieving Jews who connived and condoned with pagans to make his ministry suffer oppositions and battles.
You have to read the messages yourself buddy because the Holy Spirit wants to make the gospel of Jesus Christ a revelation and a blessing to you the Christian, Minister and the Church.
2 Corinthians chapter 11 begins with the concern of Apostle Paul over the spiritual and physical state of the Church. His concern was about their faithfulness in Christ to ensure spiritual growth unto maturity, and avert occasional and sometimes common backsliding recorded among them. The message revealed his ministry and righteous works to make their relationship with Christ stronger and unbreakable in the power of the Holy Spirit.
He revealed in the message to the Corinthians that he had betrothed them to Christ as bride to the husband in a marriage relationship. Therefore, his jealousy was to provide, protect and preserve them for Christ and avert the subtle and crafty ways of the devil to deceive them as it was with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He emphasized and cautioned them against the receipt of preachers and teachers of another Jesus, another spirit and another gospel that was already perpetuated by false Apostles. Jealous over husband, wife, children, family, Church, etc.? Yeah read, see and know about Apostle Paul’s jealousy and concern for the Corinthians and therefore the Christian Church. You have to read the details buddy.
2 Corinthians 10:7 – 11 is a message about the reality of Apostle Paul’s authority which depicts the work and power of the Holy Spirit in his Apostolic ministry. His proven authority was symbolic of all Ministers of Christ of their confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ. It revealed in his ability to assess and evaluate the Corinthians situation and provide achievable solutions; judge by the Holy Spirit of his works in ministry and not on the basis of allegations, lies, deceit and false of false Apostles.
The reality of Apostle Paul’s authority was proven to be De jure because his ministry and works were of God in Christ and by the leading of the Holy Spirit unlike the De facto authority of the false Apostles and brethren in the Corinthians Church. The authority of the Lord Jesus Christ was for edification and not destruction. This was evident in his words and letters, and life as Christians and leaders in conformity with the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. You have to read the details buddy.
Nana Kwaku Duodu blog 
