Fifty–seven Carter Center observers witnessed Ghana's Dec. 7, 2008, presidential and parliamentary elections. Overall, the Center’s observers visited more than 300 polling stations on election day, witnessing the opening, voting, and closing of voting across the country. This photo essay highlights events of the day. All Photos: The Carter Center/ D. Hakes| Carter Center Slideshow (2008)
David Carroll, director of the Carter Center’s Democracy Program, speaks with a polling official in Accra, Ghana, as workers prepare to open voting on Dec. 7. Observers take note of details like whether the ballot box was shown to be empty to everyone present, whether it was sealed properly, and whether the opening process was free from interference. All Photos: The Carter Center/ D. Hakes
A worker holds up a stack of ballots to show other workers and observers. Each polling station receives a certain number of ballots based on how many voters are registered there. All Photos: The Carter Center/ D. Hakes
Carter Center delegation leaders former Botswana President Quett Masire and former Prime Minister of Tanzania Justice Joseph Warioba take a moment to talk with local journalists on election day in Ghana. All Photos: The Carter Center/ D. Hakes
John Stremlau, Carter Center vice president for peace programs, talks with people in line to vote. Some spent the night on the cement outside the polling station in order to be first or nearly first to vote. All Photos: The Carter Center/ D. Hakes
A woman receives her ballot to vote in Ghana’s Dec. 7 presidential and parliamentary elections. The poll worker stamps the ballot with the Election Commission’s seal to mark it as official. All Photos: The Carter Center/ D. Hakes
Election commission workers check a woman’s voter identification card to identify her name on a list of voters assigned to the polling stations. All Photos:The Carter Center/ D. Hakes
Election commission workers check a woman’s voter identification card to identify her name on a list of voters assigned to the polling stations. All Photos: The Carter Center/ D. Hakes
A stack of ballots is nearly all used by mid–morning at an Accra polling station. A number on each receipt matches that of a corresponding cast ballot. All Photos: The Carter Center/ D. Hakes
A voter casts his vote for Ghana’s next president in Accra. There were separate ballot boxes for the presidential and parliamentary votes. All Photos: The Carter Center/ D. Hakes
A voter’s finger is marked with indelible ink before receiving her ballot. Observers take note of this process and also if people's fingers are checked for signs of indelible ink when they enter the polling station, which would indicate that they had already voted. All Photos: The Carter Center/ D. Hakes
A polling station in southern Ghana still had long lines in early afternoon. Voting began at 7 a.m. All Photos: The Carter Center/ D. Hakes
Poll workers check a man’s voter identification card to match it with his name on the voter’s list. All Photos: The Carter Center/ D. Hakes
At each polling station they visit, observers also check the male to female ratio of voters. Here, a worker checks the identification card of a woman seeking to vote. All Photos: The Carter Center/ D. Hakes
A woman votes in southern Ghana on Dec. 7. All Photos: The Carter Center/ D. Hakes
The presiding poll worker dumps ballots from the presidential ballot box onto a table for counting. Voting was scheduled to conclude at 5 p.m. in Ghana. All Photos: The Carter Center/ D. Hakes
Polling station workers count ballots in Accra. This process is watched by international observers, party agents, and domestic observers. All Photos: The Carter Center/ D. Hakes
Ballots are first sorted by candidate and then officially counted in the presence of observers. All Photos: The Carter Center/ D. Hakes
Journalists also watch the counting process. Observers take note as to whether the counting process was free from interference and that complaints were addressed by officials. All Photos: The Carter Center/ D. Hakes
Onlookers watch the counting process at a polling station in Accra, cheering and celebrating as the stack of ballots for their candidate grew. All Photos: The Carter Center/ D. Hakes
