Voting Behaviour In Elections In Ghana’s Fourth Republic: A Study Of The Manhyia South, Ho West And Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituencies

Abstract

Voting in Ghana, just like that of many other African countries, has often been described as ethnic-based. For that matter, ethnicity has been regarded by many scholars as the leading factor that shapes the electoral choices of voters on the African continent. In Ghana, the Ashanti and Volta Regions have been cited as areas where ethnic-based voting appears dominant. This is evidenced by the massive support that accrues to the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress in the above-mentioned regions. On the other hand, ethnicity does not seem to determine voter behaviour in cosmopolitan areas like Greater Accra where voting patterns remain swinging and unpredictable. Using qualitative research design, the study aimed at ascertaining the accuracy of the description of voting behaviour among Ghanaians as ethnic-based. Three constituencies were selected from three administrative regions of the country. These are the Manhyia South, Ho West, and Ayawaso West Wuogon constituencies. Whereas Manhyia South and Ho West constituencies (from Ashanti and Volta Regions) are perceived as areas that vote under ethnic influences, the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency in the Greater Accra Region is seen as an area where ethnicity plays virtually no role in shaping voter behaviour. Empirical data from the three case studies show that it is inaccurate to describe the current voting behaviour of Ghana as ethnic-based. Indeed, the impact of ethnicity on voting choices of Ghanaians continue to wane. As a matter of fact, contrary to the popular notion of ethnicity being the most dominant factor that shapes the voting behaviour of Ghanaians, it is rather party identification that stands out as the most dominant determinant of voting among Ghanaian voters.